A Vampire's Heart
by biteoutoflife
Summary: Raven and Alexander's relationship faces many hurdles as a new enemy comes into town with a pretty face. With the new arrival, it forces Raven to have to get closer to Trevor. How will this affect everyone? And what is this secret potion?
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fanfiction. The first chapter is a little boring but hopefully it get's better after this. Please Review!**

"Come on, Raven, you know it'll be fun!"

My best friend Becky Miller was sitting on the floor of my bedroom next to me. She was packing the last of her clothing from our sleepover, being as orderly as possible. Pulling out a brush and suntan lotion from a pocket on her backpack, she turned her face to look at me. Her blue eyes were pleading and her lower lip pouted.

I sighed. It was no use. "If I say yes, will you quit using the puppy dog face on me?"

She nodded with a grin; victory clear in her expression.

"Okay, fine, I'll go."

"Yes!" she squealed, jumping up. "Oh, you'll have so much fun! It will be just the four of us, you and Alexander, and me and Matt. We'll go swimming first, and then maybe pick up lunch at Hatsy's…" I tuned her out as she rambled. Then her words sunk in. Lunch?

I whirled and asked, "Wait, you wanted to go _now_? Why can't we wait until later?"

She rolled her eyes. "I told you before that Matt has soccer practice tonight."

"Yeah, well, maybe we can go out afterword. I'm sure he'll want to cool off with a nice swim after working out."

"No, he and I are having dinner with my parents tonight. I told you that yesterday." She grabbed a cell phone from her bag. "Why don't you call Alexander now? I'm sure he'd love to come."

"Uh…" I didn't have an excuse ready. My mind scrambled as I thought through the possibilities. "He, uh, is at an art exhibit all day in a town a few miles from here." Genius! "Yeah, his parents are sponsoring it, but since they're still in Romania they asked him and Jameson to be the hosts in their absence. He wanted me to go with him, but I told him our girl time was important and he understood. And they aren't coming back until tonight." I hoped we wouldn't pass the Mansion on the way there or else she'd be sure to see the black Mercedes parked in the driveway.

"Aw, I can't believe that you chose me over him! I thought you two would be inseparable over the summer. I know I'd have trouble choosing between you and Matt." She hugged me tightly.

I tried my best to hug her back convincingly, but even that was an effort. I hated lying to everyone, but I had to do whatever I could for the love of my life – Alexander Sterling. No one could know his darkest secret that he is a vampire, and there are even some parts of him I don't know about myself. He was forced to spend the sunny summer days locked inside the chamber in his room, sleeping in a coffin, while the rest of the Dullsvillians were running around and enjoying the weather. Since returning from Hipsterville a second time, Alexander and I had spent as much time as possible together. I ran to the Mansion every day before sunset, and we stayed together watching movies, having romantic dinners, or hanging out in the graveyard well past midnight. It's hard only having a few short hours with him every day, but after knowing what it's like to have him leave _twice_, I cherish every second I get to spend with him.

Becky released me and punched some numbers in her cell. I heard a masculine murmur on the other end as her face brightened up. "Hey Matt! I missed you so much!"

I barely paid attention as she told her boyfriend the events that would be taking place. While I was glad for good 'ol Becky, I was a little jealous that she was able to have a normal relationship without all the complications I have with dating a vampire. Part of me wanted to have the same kind of relationship, but my inner-Goth was reminding me that I was living my dream. It was one of the many sacrifices I had to do to be with Alexander.

She hung up. "I told Matt we'll be at his house in a half an hour. I'm sorry Alexander couldn't come, but I'm sure it'll be fun."

"Yeah," I said reluctantly. "Tons of fun. Let's get dressed before we go." I pulled a black bikini with miniature skulls on it that looked like polka-dots. I looked at myself in the mirror; it was like looking at a mannequin – black suit on a white body. Hey, you'd be as pale as me if you spent your daylight hours indoors too!

I grabbed a tank top that I'd thrown over my Edward Scissorhands lamp and threw it on along with a black mini skirt. Becky had put on a t-shirt and shorts over her suit and had her backpack slung over her shoulders. "Let's go, I don't want to be late," she said.

"Okay, get the air conditioner started in your truck and I'll meet you there in a sec." She ran out of my room and down the steps to her car.

I walked out of my room to the bathroom and grabbed a couple towels then went back to my room. I slipped my feet into black flip flops and headed for the door, but paused as my eye caught something.

On the wall next to my door I'd hung the painting Alexander had done for me that had previously been in my locker. There was one of us at Hatsy's Diner, and another of us dancing at Dullsville's country club, and the last one was a four-picture strip of the two of us similar to the style of a photo-booth print out. His art work was flawless, capturing every detail to perfection. The thought of my Gothic Mate resting in his coffin dreaming of ghosts and ghouls made tears prick in my eyes. Another memory I would be having without him, another time I wished that he was just like any other human.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. Ellen Schreiber does. I do own the story line. ******** Review please!**

Matt Wells lived on the right side of the tracks, and although his home wasn't as big as Trevor's or the Mansion, it was still very lavish. The last time I was here was when I crashed a party he threw for the soccer team on my birthday. Back then he was on the dark side – aka Trevor Mitchell's best friend – he was still an okay guy, but now that he's been dating Becky, I realize that there's a lot more to this particular soccer snob. I can't say that for the rest for his goal-kicking buddies.

I felt oddly out of place as I stepped out of Becky's truck. The Wells' front yard was perfectly groomed with lush grass and a beautiful garden. I could have sworn I saw a lawn gnome.

The front door was unlocked so we escorted ourselves inside. I followed behind Becky as she led us to the backyard. It was just as nice as the rest of their home. Woods lined the perimeter, forming a natural fence. An enormous in-ground pool in the center of the yard had a slide and a fountain. They had a canopy covering an expensive grille and a dining table. I had to say I was impressed.

We saw two guys already in the pool. The first, in white trunks with a mess of brown hair that clung to his face, I recognized as Matt. As soon as he saw us he ran out of the pool and came up to hug Becky. The gesture got her clothing wet, which would have made any of the girls at our school shriek. Luckily this was Becky, so she laughed along with her beau.

"Sorry Becky-bear," he laughed. She giggled and snuggled into his muscled chest. He looked up at me and smiled. "Hey Raven. I heard Alexander couldn't come. The four of us need to hang out some time."

I smiled back at him. "Yeah, I know Alexander would really like that. I'll ask him when he gets home tonight."

I heard the sloshing of water from the pool behind the couple. The dripping figure of another guy in red shorts was approaching them. I looked up and saw blond hair and blue eyes staring at me in disbelief.

_Oh no._

"Hey, Monster Girl!" called my arch-nemesis Trevor Mitchell. He sounded pleased, which made my stomach roll unsteadily. Why me?

Trevor had been my rival ever since kindergarten. I thought he was a vampire and had him bite my hand, but we all know that didn't turn out exactly as I planned. We'd been fighting for as long as I can remember. It was the only way we knew how to interact. The last time I was here, Trevor had taken me to the forest past Matt's home and we'd made out. Even though he was drunk, he really seemed to enjoy himself, that was until I stole his clothing and left him in the woods with no way of getting back to the house. I also accused him of loving me, which made him get really pissed. Since then, he'd dated Luna Maxwell, one of the evil Nosferatu twins who were in town with her brother Jagger to get revenge on Alexander. Their younger brother Valentine had told me that Trevor had only dated her because she reminded him of me, but I didn't believe that. He also revealed that Trevor was in love with me, but I wasn't sure if I believed that either.

Trevor sauntered up to me with a wicked grin. "What are you doing here?"

I made a disgusted noise. "I should be asking you the same thing. I was supposed to be here with Matt and Becky. I had no idea that they invited snobs."

"I was here already," he scoffed. "My parents went on a European cruise for the summer. I wanted to stay here, and since they refused to let me stay by myself. So Matt offered me a place to stay."

For once I hated that Matt had to be a nice guy.

"Why? Didn't they think you were grown up enough to stay home alone?"

He glared at me and began to charge. Matt stepped in front of him and held him back. "Hey, man, chill out," he warned. Trevor backed away reluctantly, still leering in my direction.

"Let's go swimming," Becky offered to calm the situation. They consented, and she pealed off her over-clothes to reveal a brown and pink tankini. Matt grinned at her and led her toward the pool.

I waited for Trevor to join them, but he stayed behind. I grudgingly pulled off my tank top and skirt and reclined in a lawn chair in the shade of the canopy. Trevor's eyes popped open and focused on my outfit, especially one piece of it. I glared at him.

"What are you looking at?" I snapped.

He swallowed heavily. "Nothing. Just wondering why you weren't going with them."

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly the first person to enjoy sunlight." I gestured at my pallid body, which only caused him to stare at me again.

It took him a moment to recover, but he returned to the former Trevor I was used to. "Yeah, can't believe I forgot. Vampires melt in the sunlight." I rolled my eyes. "Speaking of vampires, where's Monster Boy? Unless he's trapped in his coffin or something."

I thought of how accurate he was, but I responded, "I thought you were done with your petty rumors. Alexander's never done anything to you so leave him alone."

"Relax, I was just kidding. You don't have to be so defensive." He paused. "Unless there was something you'd like to share."

"Yes, I wanted to let you know that you're an idiot."

He chuckled. "Babe, you know you want me. Just admit it. You're playing hard to get, and I like that."

That got me mad. "You only want me because I'm the only girl that you ever had waiting for you and then ran away. Once you get me again you can go and brag to your little soccer pals. No, I'd _never_ want you, and I have a boyfriend. You're deranged to think that I'd ever cheat on him, too."

"Denial's the first step. Soon you'll be all over me."

I snorted. "Denial's the first step after someone _dies_, genius. But I can arrange that if you want." I cracked my knuckles to show him I was serious.

"It's so obvious that you want me. Admit to it and I'll back off."

"Okay," I agreed. "I want you. I want you to burn in h-"

"Quit it, you guys!" Becky reprimanded. She and Matt emerged from the pool and sat down around the table. He pulled over a cooler and fished out some soda cans. He slid one across the table for me and chucked one to Trevor. I unwillingly took a sip.

"So, we never got a chance to catch up since you returned," Matt said to me. "How was your trip?"

"It was a lot of fun. I did some shopping and hung out in the city. I think when I get out of high school I'm gonna move to Hipsterville."

"Where's Hipsterville?" Trevor asked. His question caught me up short and I blanched. Was he seriously making small talk with me? What had happened to the real Trevor? He stared at me, waiting for my response.

"It's the city where my aunt lives. We're sort of alike, but at the same time very different." The memory of Aunt Libby made me miss her like crazy. Between her retro apartment and vegan lunches, we'd really bonded. And now that she was getting closer to Devin I especially needed her to have girl-to-girl conversations with her about our boyfriends.

"What? Is she a Goth too?" He appeared to believe that it could be possible for one family to have two black sheep in the gene pool.

I laughed at the sheer impossibility of that statement. "Yeah right, she's stuck in the seventies. A total Deadhead. She's a true hippie and she'd never change who she is. Kind of like me."

He considered that and then got up and headed to the pool. With a graceful dive he plunged in head first. I rolled my eyes. What a showoff.

"What have you been up to?" I asked Matt.

"I've been attending soccer camp to work on my skills. But when I have free time I hang out with Jack." Jack was Matt's cousin that I'd help sneak into the Mansion with before the Sterlings moved there. Ever since that day we'd had an unspoken friendship.

"And how's the farm?" I directed toward Becky.

"Great. All the fruit trees have been growing nicely and should be ripe in time for fall. Everyone seems to be enjoying the organic kind over store-bought ones, so we'll be expecting a lot of business then." Becky lived on the wrong side of the track according to other Dullsvillians. Her parents owned a farm that we used to play in when we were younger.

Just then Trevor ran out of the pool and came up to me. He shook his body like a dog, getting me wet. I gasped in surprise and then stood up. Glowering at him, I charged after him with clenched fists. He grinned wickedly and started running.

I growled. "Trevor! Get back her right now!" I chased him around the pool momentarily. In the background I could hear Matt and Becky laughing at us. I had Trevor cornered on one side of the pool. I was breathing hard, but he was still grinning. Before I could react he jumped on me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and dove with me into the pool.

A wave of water splashed in the air where we'd fallen into the water. I accidently inhaled water and began coughing hard. I desperately swam for the surface and emerged to hear a trio of laughter. I coughed chlorine water and after regaining my composure I glared at Trevor.

"What the hell's your problem?" I croaked. He laughed again. "You _jerk_! Why did you do that?"

"Hey, babe, I'm just having some fun. Besides, you look cute wet." Did he just say cute? Gross. I can't believe he'd really said that. He looked as though he couldn't believe it either.

I climbed out of the pool and wrapped my towel around me. I had to admit the water felt nice, but I hated that I'd been thrown in. Especially because it was Trevor. If it were Alexander who'd thrown me in it would have been funny. Ugh, maybe I could have Alexander sneak into his room at night and scare him for revenge…

He came up to me with a smirk. "I had to do it. You gave me the perfect opportunity. Are we cool?"

I watched him coldly and rolled my eyes. "I'll get you back for this," I joked. I really didn't have a plan, but I would think of something.

"What were you planning on doing? Biting me?"

I grinned. "I'm Monster Girl. I have some tricks up my sleeve."

**Haha, evil ending. I'm working on making chapter 3 interesting enough after this one. Again, please comment/review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone, thanks for the reviews so far. And sorry that I haven't posted this in a while. It's been done for a couple days. **

**If you have any ideas on where I should go please let me know because I only have the next couple chapters and the ending planned. Any help is much appreciated!**

That evening at sundown I sprinted to my favorite place in all of Dullsville – the Benson Hill Mansion. Even before the Sterlings had moved in I loved this place. It had a ghostly charm unlike any other home in town, which were all cookie-cutter homes. The Mansion was special, built by Alexander's grandmother when she'd been forced to spend the rest of her life here in isolation (poor lady – who'd want to stay in Dullsville for any extended amount of time?). She'd designed this home and had it built as a reminder of her lost husband. Now after many years of abandonment the Sterling family had retained it, and they are currently residing there, well at least Alexander and his butler Jameson were, anyway.

The place didn't look much different from the one time I'd managed to sneak in before it was reoccupied. Most of the rooms and furniture were covered with dust and cobwebs. The only change was that the furniture wasn't masked by sheets. Still the Mansion would be the kind of place any Goth would die to live in, which might be the actual price to pay – a life.

I was desperate to see Alexander. It was hard to breathe during the day without him, knowing that he was so close yet inaccessible. Every night we reunited we would share the details of our days, and in his case nights, with each other. A relationship shouldn't be forced to operate like this. I wanted to be a vampire like him, and he wanted to be a human like me. In a way we were similar, but also very different. Alexander was willing to do anything on my behalf. If he had the means to become human, he would pay any price to have it. However, the easier option would be for him to bite me. The only problem with that was I wasn't sure how ready I was to become one of the undead. Would I regret having to spend eternity in darkness to be with Alexander? I knew I wasn't going to commit until I was certain about that answer.

The front gate was unlocked for me and I was relieved to see the black Mercedes parked in the driveway. I followed the road that led to the Mansion. It loomed over me, looking so ghastly that it made my heart pound with excitement every time I entered. There were so many parts of it I'd never explored. I wanted to know it like the palm of my hand.

A shadow in the attic window drew my attention. The still figure of a person looked down at me curiously, a light from behind it showing his outline.

I took a step back, staring at the figure. It disappeared suddenly with the rustle of the curtains. I scaled the steps and held my fist up to knock on the door. Before it made contact the door opened from the other side. I looked up and stared in awe. Standing in front of me was my Gothic Mate.

He was mysteriously handsome with ghost-white skin and a thin build. Long, midnight colored locks lay on his shoulders. My favorite chocolate eyes stared at me with love, loneliness, and intelligence. A warm smile played on his perfect lips. He was dressed in our usual gothic garb: a black Joker t-shirt, black jeans, and combat boots.

We didn't bother with greetings. His arms wrapped around my waist as he kissed me tenderly. When we broke apart he led me down the stairs with a strong hand. He pulled keys from his pocket.

"Where are we going?" I asked curiously as he opened the Mercedes.

He looked back at me and smirked. "You'll see."

I pouted. I never liked his cryptic answers, but anything that I did with Alexander was bound to be fun and romantic. Let's face it; he's the king of romantic dates. I know how to pick 'em!

As we drove away from the Mansion, we were heading toward the ritzy area of town. I watched the mega-buck homes fly by with confusion. "If you're not gonna tell me, can you at least give me a hint?"

"I'm making up for something I missed earlier today," was all he said. My heart was racing with excitement.

We stopped in front of a very lavish, expensive looking home. It was in one of those neighborhoods that gave a wide berth in between each property. He parked the car in the driveway and my heart began to race for a different reason. What was Alexander thinking? We can't barge into someone's home whenever we feel like. It is illegal! (not that it stopped me before, but it just wasn't very Alexander-like).

"You know if we get caught we'll get in so much trouble." I looked around nervously to see if anyone was watching the unusual car at this home.

Alexander looked at me and said, "I did some research the past couple nights, and I noticed that this home has been empty. The owners are probably on vacation, and since the homes are so spaced out I figured we could hang out here without much suspicion."

"Yeah, but what are we doing?" After all, that was the important part.

He smiled. "I wanted to make amends to missing out on swimming with you and Becky and Matt. Well, this is where we're going to swim." He gestured to the back yard, which I could now see the faint outline of an in ground pool.

"Sweet." I leaned up to peck his lips.

He placed a hand on the small of my back and led me through the gigantic yard. The family that lived here was obviously wealthy since they had a pool _and_ a hot tub inside a gazebo. A glass wall surrounded the edge of the gazebo to provide a barrier from the outside world. Hanging on the chain fence surrounding the pool were towels.

I pulled off my tank top and skirt and placed them beside the towels. As I readjusted the straps of my bikini, I watched Alexander peel off his shirt and jeans to reveal black swimming trunks underneath. After setting aside his clothing, he turned back to me. I noticed his eyes widen the tinniest bit before he regained his composure and led me to the hot tub.

On the glass door was a lock. I frowned at it. "I didn't know there was a lock or else I would have brought Billy Boy's kit to break in."

"I'll take care of it," he assured me. He paused and pointed over to a large battery pack on the side of the gazebo. "There should be a switch on it somewhere. Turn it on so the water can warm up." (**A/N I have no idea if that's how you really turn on a hot tub so don't criticize my ignorance! :P**)

I walked over to the contraption and easily found the switch he was talking about. I flicked it on, and in seconds the battery and motor began to rumble to life. The water ran through some tubes connected to the hot tub and it pulsated warm streams of bubbles.

I returned to Alexander. He smiled smugly at me and held out the opened lock in his hand. He held the door for me as I walked up the steps. I placed my foot in the water. It wasn't warm yet, but it felt nice compared to the chilly water at Matt's house.

Alexander jumped in after me. This was the kind of tub that had built-in benches for us to sit in. Resting against the side, a jet of warm water rocketed against my back. It was very soothing. I nestled into Alexander's arms as we watched the night. The moon was almost full and the starts were bright in this area of town.

"How did you enjoy your girl time with Becky?" he asked after what felt like an eternity of silence.

"It was fun," I replied smoothly. "We got to watch movies and stay up late talking. It was fun just to be a normal girl for once."

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. I knew he was thinking that he was keeping me from being a normal girl. "And what about this afternoon?" he pressed. He hated not knowing any details of my days without him.

"Spending time with her and Matt was nice…" I let the sentence drag on which was a big mistake. He picked it out and raised one eyebrow.

"And?"

I sighed. "And Trevor was there too." I saw his body tense at the sound of my arch-nemesis's name. "He was staying with Matt, and when he was there he wouldn't leave me alone. He was such a creep."

"Look, Raven, if he's bothering you, I can talk to him if you'd like."

I smiled inwardly, but I wasn't completely satisfied. "I was wondering if you could, oh, I don't know, beat the crap out of him. And let me take a couple punches at him myself."

He looked startled. "That doesn't sound like you. What did he _do_?"

"He hit on me," I grumbled. Thinking of it made me wish I'd taken a swing at him while I had the chance.

It surprised me to hear him laugh. "What's so funny?" I asked.

His whole body shook with laughter when he stopped suddenly. He looked into my eyes, his like bottomless dark pits. "I don't think you understand the kind of affect you have on guys," he stated bluntly, all joking gone.

"What?" I was baffled.

"Did you think Valentine was lying when he said Trevor loved you?"

That caught me up short. "Well, no, but I, uh…" I really didn't know what I thought.

"Even though we're the only Goths in Dullsville, you still have a charm about you that guys love. You're smart, witty, tough, and live by your own standards. And you're absolutely beautiful, of course." This time his smile was genuine. "Any guy would kill to have someone like you." I smirked at his choice of words.

"And let me guess, did he see you in your bathing suit?"

I grinned sheepishly.

"Then of course he couldn't resist you. Do you realize how stunning you look right now? If Matt didn't have a girlfriend he would have been on you, too."

"Are you still going to talk with him?"

He sighed. "If it keeps you from sneaking into his house at night and attacking him then yes, I will."

"Good. But no matter what I'm still gonna get him back for this."


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so I'm going to try something new. I'm gonna try to write as often as possible (*everyone gasps*). I hardly have the time in between school and soccer, but I feel bad that the story has been just kind of sitting there. Let's see how long this lasts for. So here is chapter 4. Please Review!!**

Alexander and I were driving back to my place at some time after 1 AM. My parents didn't normally mind how late I stayed out as long as I was with him. For some reason my parents adore Alexander. Maybe it was because we are exactly alike – or it could be his vampire charm. Either way it worked in our benefit.

We passed by more ritzy homes. They seemed lifeless now with all the lights inside turned out. It was very peaceful, almost a little too quiet.

As Alexander turned a corner we heard loud music pulsing from down the street. "What the -?" I began, but Alexander shushed me. Peering through the windshield, we were able to see a bunch of teenagers moseying around the front lawn of a house. There was a bonfire lit and the yard was littered with cans of beer. Now that I got a better look, the part seemed to be for the Dullsville High soccer team, because I noticed Trevor and some of his other teammates. Although to my great relief I didn't see either Matt or Becky.

Apparently I wasn't the only one who noticed Trevor. Alexander stiffened momentarily, but then he pulled the car over several yards away and turned it off. When he opened the car door I asked, "What are you doing?"

He looked at me as he said, "I'm going to talk with him while I have the chance. If I don't now you might kill him by tomorrow night."

"Why, he's probably drunk out of his mind. He'll pass out in a few minutes anyway."

"Well if he's drunk, I might be able to get useful answers out of him." He grinned evilly for a second, revealing his fangs. I was taken aback. This wasn't like him.

"Okay, if you have to talk to him now, at least let me come with you." I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the passenger side door.

He sighed. "You can come only if you promise to stay out of his sight range. It will be better if he doesn't think you were involved with me speaking to him, and seeing you will only distract him."

"Alright," I agreed.

We walked toward the party, the sound of laughter and Aerosmith echoing through the otherwise quiet neighborhood. Alexander tugged on my shoulder before we reached the large group of students. We paused for a moment.

"I'm going to lead him to the back yard," he told me. "Please stay out of sight from him and stay out of trouble. The last thing I need is for you to join the party."

I giggled, but he was serious. "Okay, so I won't have something to drink."

He smirked. "Promise you'll be good?"

"Promise."

He kissed me on the lips and then steered me toward the crowd. I took a few steps toward them and then turned around to ask Alexander a question.

"Hey-"

He was gone.

_Great._

I scowled and then scanned the crowd. It wasn't surprising to see that there was no one in particular that I cared about. Plus, nothing interesting would be going on here or in the house. What I wanted to listen to the most was out back.

I meant to be stealthy, but I had some difficulty blending in with the shadows of the gigantic house. There were some metal garbage cans stacked along the wall that I didn't notice until they clanged loudly against each other. I cursed inwardly.

The second hurdle came in the backyard. I couldn't see them, but I could hear the heat of some serious make-out sessions. I wanted to puke, but then again it wasn't like I hadn't been in that situation before. Using my ears, I tried to stay away from the couples.

I came to a more secluded area of the yard and paused. I saw Alexander standing in the distance, his back toward me. A figure approached, stumbling slightly before regaining balance. _Trevor_, I thought.

He stopped in front of my boyfriend and blinked a couple times like he was unsure of what he was seeing. I scurried back into the shadow of the building, but was sure that I could get a good view and be in a position to eavesdrop properly. I chewed on my lip in anticipation.

"Alexander?" Trevor asked like he was dazed. When he realized that he was right, he turned into my life-long nemesis. "Oh, hey, Monster Boy, who invited you? This was a party for students at the school, not for vampires."

Alexander didn't even flinch at the mention, even though Trevor was more correct than he could imagine. "I can't believe that you still have to stoop that low. But say what you want about me. I'm here to talk with you about something else."

Trevor cocked one blond eyebrow. "Oh, and what would that be. And if you're asking if you can bite me, forget about it."

I couldn't see Alexander's response but I was almost certain he'd rolled his eyes as I'd just done. He shook his head and said, "We have to talk about Raven."

My nemesis tensed slightly but he smirked like his usual arrogant self. "Yeah, what about her? She is your girlfriend, isn't she? Why do you need to talk to me about her? It's not like we're pals."

"Look, Trevor, despite what you think I hope you know that most people are more observant than you give them credit for. I can see that you like Raven too."

Trevor snorted. "So, what if I do like her?" Was that a confirmation? My mind was reeling. He hadn't denied it… "Are you gonna be jealous and say that I should stay away from her?"

"I'm not telling you to stay away from her for my benefit. I want you to because she doesn't like it. If you care for her as much as I think you do, then you'll consider staying away from her if she wants it."

Trevor thought about it. "What if she wanted to be with me? Would you have her best interests at heart and stay away?"

"Yes," Alexander replied smoothly. There was a slight strain to his voice, but I knew he meant it. Trevor blinked a couple times in astonishment.

"So let's say that, hypothetically, Raven chose me over you." I did _not_ like where this was going. "But on her own terms, 'cause, after all, sometimes I see her more often than you do on a given day."

I could see Alexander's fists clench, but he kept speaking calmly. "In some ways you are better for her than I am, but while I'm with her and she's pissed at you, it's better if you keep your distance."

"Or what? I could easily kick your ass if you tried to stop me."

"I doubt it," he mumbled to himself, so softly that I wasn't sure I heard it. "We'll see," he said more loudly. I could hear the smile in his voice.

Trevor paused. I could sense him gearing up for some major jerk put-down, but he surprised me by keeping his mouth shut. My mouth probably hit the floor at that moment. To keep up with the shock-the-hell-out-of-Raven moment, he took a couple steps towards Alexander. They were face-to-face, Alexander slightly taller. In a soft voice, Trevor said, "Okay, I'll play by your game for now. But if she changes her mind remember what you told me tonight." With that he walked away.

I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. I bit my knuckles to keep from screaming. Either this was going to end good or very poorly. It better be the first.

When Alexander was alone, he walked off to a nearby home and disappeared in the shadows. _Where'd he go?_ He has the keys to the Mercedes!

I ran out of from behind the house to where I'd just seen him. No one was there, so I had only one logical explanation for what happened. He turned into a bat. No doubt he was looking for me right now. Of course, I was out of site like I promised, but Alexander wouldn't know where I'd run off to. _Maybe I should go back to the party…?_

A strong hand fell on my shoulder, and I let out a surprised squeak escape my lips. I whirled, about ready to attack whoever was there, until I saw my favorite chocolate eyes scrutinizing me.

"I told you to stay out of site, not run halfway down the block," Alexander said roughly. He turned stiffly and headed back to the Mercedes, leaving me behind. I had to run to catch up.

_Huh? What's gotten into him?_

**Okay, so I already have the next chapter planned out and it'll probably be short, so I apologize for that. It wasn't until after I wrote this that I realized how Twilight-ish it sounds. Also, as an explanation, while Matt is out with Becky Trevor went to this party. Matt will probably be there to pick him up in an hour. ;)**

**Again, please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Alexander pulled up in my front driveway and turned off the engine curtly. He'd been unusually distant and cold during the ride back. I wondered if it had something to do with his conversation with Trevor, but I didn't have the heart to ask. What could he be thinking? I hope he wasn't taking what Trevor had said too seriously.

I was about to go mad if the silence kept up any longer. I couldn't stand to see Alexander like this. I was dying to say something when he turned to me. His expression and eyes were miserable.

"I'm sorry that didn't exactly go as planned," he said simply. He sighed and ran a hand through his midnight hair.

_So it was the conversation._ "Why would I be upset?" I tried to sooth him. "I asked you to talk with him, and trying to convince Trevor to do something is like asking a wall to move." He smiled at that. "Even if it went a lot better than that, how long would it last? He isn't the first person I'd expect to keep a promise."

"Yeah, but now he probably thinks that I'm a jealous boyfriend that can't handle a little competition. I was eager to tell him to back off, maybe because I'm a bit selfish, but now I wonder if I was lying to myself. Maybe I am _jealous_."

Okay, this was getting downright annoying. "Listen, I don't care what you think. There's no way Trevor can compete with you. I've spent my whole life with him and he has yet to win me over. And I haven't even known you for a year and you've managed to sweep me completely off my feet. If I was meant to be with Trevor, I would have had some kind of feelings – or good feelings, anyway – towards him before."

Now his smile seemed to meet his eyes, but he consistently pushed on. "But people change, Raven. How am I supposed to know if you're growing to like him…?" After taking in my glare he decided to change his attack. "Or maybe you'll grow out of me. I've seen it happen before. Don't think that what happens now is any indication of how it will be five or ten years from now."

How could I try to convince him if he kept insisting on downing himself? I thought I'd managed to break him out of his lack-of-confidence state a long time ago. Why was he being such a downer?

Then a burning question came to my mind about his conversation. "When you said that Trevor was better than me in some ways, what did you mean by that?" I already knew the answers he'd give, but I was ready to convince him otherwise.

"We've been through this before," he said tiredly. "First, and most important, he can't take you to the Underworld. He's not a threat to you. Just by being a mortal in my world can be deadly. Any vampire would want to stake a claim on you once they realize that. I could always bite you like you say you want, but what if you decide that you don't want to be with me anymore? Or if you find out that being a vampire isn't as romantic as you think it is? You risk a lot by being with me, and once you chose one path you can't turn back. I want you to make the right decision, not because you feel an obligation to me or anyone else. This has to be what's right for you, and just because you've wanted to be one you're whole life doesn't mean that it's the best option."

He had a point, but it didn't mean I had to like it. "Okay, so let's say I do choose to leave you. What is there for me in the human world? What could I possibly contribute to them? I would just live like a vampire anyway."

"If you stayed with the human world you can be saved from a world of lust and hatred. Vampires are notoriously cruel, proud, and thirsty for blood and revenge. You've been lucky that most of the vampires you have encountered are like me, but there are more out there that are like Jagger and Luna." He gestured to the land around us as he said this. "You already have ties with it and are wanted by the wrong people for being with me. If they were able to get to you then you'd have no chance. The only way to be safe is to break all ties with the Underworld all together because once you go in too far there's no going back."

He's really planned this though. It was a lot to consider; especially that he didn't want me to be in the same world with him. Was it that he didn't love me like I thought? Or maybe he loved me a little too much that he was being that irrational to the point where he didn't want me to be with him.

"Are you asking me to make a decision now? Because I don't know if I have an answer." That had to have been the first time I admitted it to myself or him. What would I chose if I had to pick this moment?

His expression softened a bit. "You don't need to decide now. This involves the rest of your life. I don't want you to be hasty and choose on a whim." He paused and looked toward the house. "You're parents are probably wondering what's keeping you in here so long. You should go in before they assume we were doing something we shouldn't be."

He got out of the car and opened the door for me. On the doorstep he gave me a long goodbye kiss. As he opened his car to leave he blew me a kiss before restarting the car and leaving. I watched as my Gothic Mate left. I wanted to think about how much fun our date had been this evening, but I couldn't get my mind off of how much that conversation had bothered him. He was obviously shaken, and he was trying to defeat himself by thinking I should be with Trevor. Like _that_ was a favor.

I sighed and opened the door, desperate for an escape from the insanity my day had been.

**Like I said, really short chapter. The action and plot starts picking up next chapter. Please Review!! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, I didn't have time to check over this, so there are probably mistakes and things are worded incorrectly. But I wanted to post this for everyone. I'm sorry that it's kind of Twilight-ish now, but I promise that'll change soon. Enjoy!!**

_The moon was full above us, casting our shadows – well, only my shadow – along with the branches of dead trees. Alexander and I were sitting on a wooden bench in a cemetery. Tombstones were lined before us in an orderly fashion. A light snow lay on the ground and the foliage reached toward the black sky begging for the warmth of the summer. Bats flew overhead, across the light being cast from the moon. It was frightening and hair-raising. I absolutely loved it._

_Alexander brushed my hair away from my shoulder and kissed me on the nape of my neck. I giggled, his soft lips tickling my skin. The ends of his fangs brushed against me and I gasped. I looked up toward him._

_"What are you doing?" I asked. His eyes gleamed red, a startling contrast to his pale skin. _

_He grinned, and it took my breath away. He looked absolutely gorgeous in a black silk tux, his hair blowing with the wind. An evil glint sparked in his eyes, and a chill passed through me. I think I was truly afraid. It's amazing!_

_He leaned in again and his soft lips touched my throat. "I'm giving you what you want," he said against my skin, just as he bit down on me-_

"Raven, wake _up_!"

"Hmm…?" I mumbled incoherently. Reality came crashing on me just then and I felt like crying. That was only a dream. Alexander was finally giving me what I wanted and it _wasn't real_. Life really sucks sometimes.

My mother was standing in the doorway glaring at me. I propped myself unto my elbows to look at her. The window blinds were halfway open, letting in the light from the blue sky outside. I wanted to roll over and fall back asleep.

"You've been asleep all morning and afternoon," my mom chastised, even though this wasn't unusual. "Get up and get dressed."

"Why does this matter all of a sudden?" I asked. I couldn't remember if anything important was going on today. "Are you and dad having a party or something? Your guests won't mind if I stay in my room-"

Mom rolled her eyes. "No we aren't throwing a party. Actually, we have dinner plans tonight. Before your father left for work this morning he suggested we go out to eat since he'd be working later tonight. I thought it was a good idea, and so did Billy."

"Yeah, but I'm going to see Alexander in an hour."

"Don't worry about that, honey. I already called his house this morning and Jameson said he'd love to go with us. He said you should meet Alexander at the Mansion and then meet us at the François' Bistro. Our reservations are for 7:30, so don't stay there too long. We wanted to have the chance to talk with you and Alexander since you hog him to yourself all the time." Thank you Sarah Madison for inviting him!

"Okay… if you want me to get dressed you have to get out." I forced myself into a sitting position on the bed.

"Oh, right. See you there, Ray." She shut the door behind her as she left.

I jumped out of bed and ran for my closet. I wondered what was so important that Alexander wanted to have me meet him at the Mansion instead of meeting my family at the restaurant. Was he thinking more about last night? I hope he wasn't letting Trevor get into his head too much.

I dressed in my usual Gothic garb: a red mini skirt with black lace and a black-and-gray corset with ribbons that tied it in the back. I didn't need much makeup, just the usual black eye shadow and black lipstick. Along with my Doc Martins I was good to go.

I still had some time before sundown, so I headed downstairs to see if anything was on TV. Unfortunately once I entered the living room I saw Billy Boy on the couch watching some show on the History Channel. He was so engrossed in it; I wondered how he could enjoy an educational show so much. It wasn't something I completely understood. Shouldn't boys be out playing sports or building model airplanes? Apparently the stars aligned incorrectly when my brother was born because he turned out to be an intellectual. I made a disgusted sound.

"Maybe," Billy Boy started, not turning his gaze from the TV, "if you watched programs like these you'd learn something. Although we all know what a major sin it is to gain knowledge."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, I have places I have to be anyway." I began to walk away.

"Wait!" He was kneeling on the sofa and facing my direction. I paused and shot him a look that said 'what-the-hell-do-you-want-kid'? "Is Alexander coming with us?" he asked with child-like sincerity. For whatever reason Billy Boy really liked Alexander, but who wouldn't love him?

"Yeah, Mom asked him to come. I'm meeting him at the Mansion first."

"Okay, cool." He turned back to his program as I headed for the door, shaking my head the whole way. Even if Billy was a nerd, he was still a pretty cool kid. Although I'd never say that to his face.

By the time I got to the Mansion the sun was just about set. When I knocked on the front door Jameson, aka Creepy Butler Man, answered the door. He was dressed in a scary black suit that clung to his bony body lightly.

"Hello, Miss Raven," Jameson said in his thick accent. He smiled his crackly-tooth smile at me. "Alexander should be getting up soon. He should be down to see you shortly." He allowed me to pass into the Mansion.

The Mansion was exactly how it had been every other time I was here: huge, ancient, and dusty. There were cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and chandeliers. Unlike the first time I was here, the floor had been cleaned – somewhat – so walking through the house doesn't leave prints in the dust and dirt.

"If you want you may take a seat in the study," Jameson suggested.

"Okay."

This was the room where I'd first met Alexander on the night he invited me to the Mansion. It was several months ago, but I remembered it perfectly. The way he held himself, with the air of someone with dignity and yet seemed uncomfortable in his own skin. Me being just as excited about meeting him as I was about finding out if he was a vampire. We changed a lot since then, but it still seemed like it had happened days ago.

I felt that familiar presence first and then hands caressing my waist. I wiggled in the grasp to look up at Alexander. He was smiling at me, a good sign. Maybe I was being paranoid. He released me and took my hand.

"I need to talk to you," he said seriously. Uh oh. Seeing my expression fall, he lightened a bit. "No, it's not about us or anyone we know, but it can be if we're not careful."

"Huh?" I asked brilliantly.

"Just come with me." He tugged me out of the study and toward the grand staircase. We climbed two stories of steps, which felt like an eternity, I might add. The last one led us to a door at the top of the house – Alexander's room.

He chose the attic for his room because he got the best view of the moon and of Dullsville. This also looked the same as how I saw it the first time, on the night when my parents threw a welcoming party for him and Jameson. There was a mattress with unmade sheets on the floor, a comfy chair along the wall, and his easel by the lone circular window. The canvas on it was painted red, more than likely a work in progress. His other masterpieces were leaning against the wall including several of me.

"What's up?" I asked, jumping on the comfy chair.

He closed the door softly behind him and sat by my. "Have you seen the news at all?" he began. Even though his black hair fell over his eyes, I could feel them searching my face.

"No, when do I ever watch the news? What's going on?"

He sighed and stood up. Walking across the room he grabbed some papers that were on the mattress. He tossed them on the floor in front of me. It was a newspaper. I picked it up and skimmed through the headings.

"Why is the newspaper important?" I asked, confused.

"Go to the next page," he advised.

I flipped it over and examined the article titles. There were public announcements, a cover on a new restaurant, and something about a new computer lab being donated for Dullsville Middle School. Toward the bottom of the page a heading caught my attention. It read: 'Mass Murders Distraught Citizens of Local Towns.'

I held the article up to Alexander. "Is this what you're anxious about?"

He nodded. "Read it. See how close it is to Dullsville."

I wasn't in the mood to read all the details, but I looked for the names of towns he was referring to. There was Lamesburg, Tinytown, and Wonderland (it's only called that because it has a mall with a Hot Gothics). All the towns are relatively close to Dullsville.

"What does this have to do with us?"

"Jameson gave this to me this morning when I got home. He thought it's something I should see. It says that several people have been disappeared and their bodies were found mangled or burned. It's been hard for doctors to figure out the cause of death, but I have my own theories."

"Which are what?"

"Vampires," he said. "Or maybe just one vampire because there have been 5 deaths in the last two months. That should have given whoever it was enough blood to last in that amount of time."

"So you think a vampire is responsible for people dying in this area? I still don't –" And that's when it hit me. "Wait, do you think that whoever it is will be coming here? After all you are the only vampire in this area that we know of."

"I'm afraid of that," he admitted, "especially because as time has passed the vampire has been getting closer to us. I don't know why any vampire would come here, and without knowing their motives I'm powerless. They may want me, or maybe there are other vampires nearby that I don't know of. But whatever the visitor is here for, we need to be on guard."

"So I should be keeping my garlic powder in my purse."

He laughed. "Exactly."


	7. Chapter 7

**Argh! I hate this time of the year. I can never get on the computer, and when I do I never have time to write. But I've only got a month left of soccer so updates should be more frequent then. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. Please recommend to anyone who you think would enjoy it!**

François' Bistro was several blocks away from the town square in a plaza that included many small and unnecessary businesses. This was my favorite restaurant in Dullsville because it wasn't swank, loud, or crowded. It was the opposite of where Alexander and I dined with my parents last time, the Cricket Club. At François', the prices were high enough to give you a heart attack and the portions were the size of Rhode Island. Either way their food was good and the set-up of it was Goth-friendly.

Alexander pulled into the parking lot. He held the door open for me as I got out of the Mercedes, making me feel like a Gothic queen with her gorgeous escort. We walked hand-in-hand into the restaurant like we owned the place. It was exactly as I remembered it: the lights were dim and each individual table was illuminated by a couple candles. The tables were spread far apart, so there was plenty of space for diners to have a private conversation without having to worry about eavesdroppers.

A hostess behind a black counter examined us anxiously, taking in our gothic attire. The smile on her face was strained as we stopped before her. "Hi, welcome to François' Bistro. Would you like a table for two?"

Alexander shook his head and replied politely, "We're meeting up with another group. It should be under 'Madison'."

She looked over her list and highlighted something. She picked out two menus. "Okay, follow me." We were led to an area in the back of the dining hall. A few other families were in tables but no one seemed to glance too long at us. In the back corner I saw my parents and Billy Boy sitting at a circular booth. He waved at us.

The hostess placed our menus on the table. "Here you go. Your waiter will be out to take your orders in a minute."

We slid into the booth; I sat by Billy Boy and Alexander was on my other side. My parents were as across from us as one could be in a round booth. They smiled at Alexander and me.

"It's good to see you again," my mom said with her usual giddiness when she was around my boyfriend. I think dating him reminded her of herself when she dated my dad in college. Ah, the good 'ol hippy days!

"Yeah, it seems like we haven't seen you in a while," Dad added after shaking Alexander's hand.

"It's nice to be out with you, Mr. Madison – uh, I mean Paul." He quickly corrected himself after my dad gave him a 'how-many-times-do-I-have-to-remind-you' look. "We should do this more often."

We picked up our menus and looked through them. Billy peered over his and looked straight at Alexander. He seemed to notice at looked at my brother. "Hey, Billy, I haven't seen you too much either. How have you been?"

Billy's eyes perked. "Good. I'm going to a science camp that our school's sponsoring for physics and chemistry. We get to build catapults and predict equations for how far different objects will be projected. We'll get to mess around with chemicals and see how certain mixtures react."

"Sounds like fun," he said sincerely. Sometimes I forget that Billy Boy wasn't the only intelligent one I know. Not only was he super smart, but Alexander probably had relatives that are still alive that remember when the nucleus was discovered. Maybe they even knew Albert Einstein.

"Speaking of which," my mom cut in, "Raven, your father and I will be taking Billy to the camp on next week. You'll be alone for most of the day, so don't throw a party or else we'll find out."

Before I could speak, Alexander cut me off. "Where is this camp at exactly?"

My parents seemed just as confused as I did. My dad told Alexander that it was in Wonderland. I saw his eyes widen a fraction of an inch before he composed himself, no one noticing his dismay except for me. He and I shared a knowing glance.

I had to cut in. "So that's like an hour drive. I don't see why you'll be up there all day."

"We wanted to spend some time in town," Dad said. "It's the perfect opportunity to see a new movie and check out the new golf store…"

"And while he does that I'll be shopping," Mom interjected. I rolled my eyes.

"Do you mind if I take Raven away for a couple minutes?" Alexander asked after our waiter had taken our drinks orders.

My family nodded in agreement, and we shuffled out of the booth. He took my hand and led me out of the restaurant into the parking lot. It was dark enough outside that cars passing on the nearby roads wouldn't be able to notice us unless their headlights hit us directly. He pulled me to a secluded area behind the building and paused, concern coloring his face. Even I could see that in the dim light of an Exit sign.

We waited for a couple seconds without saying anything. He continued to look apprehensive and solemn at the same time. It was then I realized what he was going to do.

_Darn his protective instincts!_

"Come _on_!" I practically whined. "This will be our one chance to spend a day together and you're going to spend it in Wonderland watching out for my parents?"

His eyes grew more serious, and somehow gloomy. "You know I have to," he pressed. "I want to keep your parents and Billy safe, especially if we don't know where this vampire is or what he wants. He could be anywhere."

"He could be here," I pointed out.

He grimaced. "I doubt it. I checked the area last night for any signs of coffins or fresh graves and I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary."

I sighed heavily. "Can't you just let me sneak over to the Mansion before sunrise and spend the morning with you like I did that one time? Then I can leave as soon as the sun sets so you can go."

"The problem with your idea is that it will take some time to get to Wonderland. If I want to have the most amount of time to explore, I'll have to leave the night before."

"Ugh, I _hate_ this!"

"Raven, I'm sorry." His dark, soulful eyes searched mine, trying to show his feelings. "I know that being with me is difficult for you. This would be so much easier if I could just –" He stopped abruptly, although I already knew what he would say. _If I could just be a normal human._ I wanted to smack him for even thinking like that.

I noticed he was fingering an object inside his coat pocket, although I couldn't discern what it was. Before I could ask I was interrupted by an all too familiar voice.

"Aw, is there trouble in coupledom?" Trevor sneered. He walked out from behind a Dumpster.

I wasn't in the mood to deal with him. "I see you were hanging out where you belonged – with the garbage," I shot back. "Just butt out. Why are you here anyway?"

"Maybe I was going out to eat and I just happened to hear voices from behind the restaurant." He sounded honest, which really creeps me out, and you know there's something wrong with that. It takes a _lot_ to do creep me out. This wasn't the Trevor I knew. But then he returned to his old self. "Besides, it's hard not to be curious when people can hear you screeching from the parking lot."

I was working on a short fuse, and that really pushed me over the edge. I launched myself at him, fists clenched. He looked shocked right when I was about to hit him –

A pair of strong arms held me back. I wiggled in Alexander's grasp. This wasn't what I needed. I yelled a stream of profanities, thirsting for blood. Alexander whispered in my ear, telling me to calm down. I eventually quieted, realizing there was no point in putting up a fight against him. When I stopped fidgeting, he released me. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at Trevor.

"Well, _that_ was interesting," he laughed. "I just have girls throwing themselves at me left and right, don't I?" He turned and walked toward the entrance of François'.

I tried to jump on him again, but like before I was held back by Alexander. When Trevor was out of site, Alexander spun me around to face him.

"Let's compromise," he suggested. He sounded wary.

"About what?" I asked, unsure of what he was talking about.

"What if I said you could spend the day with me on the night I'm leaving for Wonderland? If that will be enough to keep you out of trouble for 24 hours."

I thought about it. It was probably the best offer I was going to get. "Okay, you got a deal."

**Sorry, but this and the next chapter are a little dull. But after that things will start to pick up. Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry I haven't posted in a while. My cousin is in town from Virginia for Easter break, so I'm spending a lot of time with her. To everyone who has reviewed/favorite my story, thank you! I'd like to take the time to comment on some of what you've said. **

**.Hale and mystery625: **Thanks, I'm glad you like it so far! I hope it continues to entertain.

**Cuppycake-the-evil-cupcake: **Good guess, but sorry, no cigar. It wasn't an engagement ring. The thing is, I already said what it was, but I'm gonna let everyone wait for a bit to ponder it over.

**Twilight H8r 101: **I know what you mean. There have been so many stories that I've began (not on fanfic, but just for fun that my friends read) and I never really finish them. The reasons always vary, whether I'm too busy to write or I just run out of ideas. I really want to finish a story once, so I'm hoping to make this my first!

**If you want to see this story continue, I'm gonna need feedback. So keep reviewing folks!! Without further ado, here is chapter 8.**

Awaking to the unfamiliar noise of an alarm clock was a bit unnerving. My self-conscience was telling me that it was autumn and I had to get ready for school because Becky's waiting. However, after my mind cleared itself from its sleep-induced stupor, I remembered I had somewhere very important to be. I jumped out of bed like a jackrabbit and ran to the bathroom.

I stayed up most of the night, trying to be as prepared as possible for today. Staying awake can be hard, so I have creative ways of entertaining myself in the wee hours of the night. At midnight I was watching a movie, by two I was doodling in my sketchbook pictures of Alexander and me at our Covenant Ceremony, and by four I was thrashing to music on Billy Boy's iPod. I'd only fallen asleep just an hour ago, so my lids were pretty heavy. But I was mostly wired on adrenaline so I hoped it would be enough to get me to the Mansion without dropping over like a rock.

It was still very early, only 6 AM, but I could hear the shuffles of feet outside the door. My parents were awake and getting ready for work. I'd be leaving before them, but they already knew of my destination so they won't be surprised to see me up.

I emerged from the bathroom when I was done, my dad waiting outside the door for me. "Good morning," he said. He was dressed in his infamous black bathrobe that he threatened to make me wear to the Winter Dance. I shuddered, thinking about it.

"Morning," I replied, slipping by him.

I was dressed and had applied makeup in five minutes, a record time. I stared at myself in the mirror as if it would be the last time I'd see myself, which it very well could be. There is never a way to be sure when you associate with as many vampires as I did. I was wearing my new black-and-white striped ruffle skirt and a black v-neck t-shirt that said 'Vampires Suck'. That one always made me smile. I slid into my trademark Doc Martins and sprinted down the steps.

"I'll be at Alexander's!" I called over my shoulder as I shut the door behind me.

I was on the familiar trek to my favorite place in Dullsville, the Benson Hill Mansion – it even beat out the cemetery, which is saying something. I had to pace myself if I wanted to get there before the sun rose. Lines of yellow and pink light sprouted on the horizon, highly visible against the gray sky. I ran so I wouldn't be late.

By the time I reached the front step the sky was half-pink-half-gray. I was out of breath when I knocked on the door. Jameson answered it. He was in a fancy black suit and a silk tie.

I smiled at him. "Hot date today?" I joked.

"Yes, Miss Raven," he replied in his creepy Romanian accent. "Later today I should be meeting with Miss Ruby. Please come in." I stepped around him into the Mansion. "Alexander should be in his room." I thanked him and ran up the steps.

The door to his room was closed. _Should I knock? Can I just enter?_ We all know how well it goes when I barge in on places without thinking of the consequences. I held my hand up and started to knock when the knob turned and opened from the other side.

Alexander looked down at me, wearing a black t-shirt and shorts. His eyelids were a little heavy and a sexy, sleepy grin was on his perfect lips. "Good morning," he whispered, wrapping his arms around my waist. He pulled me into his room and closed the door behind him.

His room was dark, the curtains pulled to cover the only window in the attic. There were votives scattered around the room, including a couple near the portraits in the corner.

I stood on my toes so I could kiss him. He leaned down and titled his head to the side to deepen the kiss. It felt good to be in his arms, to feel the love and comfort and protection whenever I was around him. Before I knew it we were walking backwards and we fell unto his mattress.

I broke the kiss to take a breath. He used it to kiss my neck, my ears, pecking and nibbling. It tickled like crazy. I ran my hands through his silky black locks, breathing in the scent of him. I placed my hand on his chin and brought his lips back to mine. We were both breathing hard when he pulled away. I felt one of his hands tighten on my waist while the other held the back of my neck firmly. His lips returned to my neck.

We rolled over so that I was underneath him. I felt the heel of my boot snag on the corner of his nightstand. Objects rattled with the impact. His fangs slid against my neck, and I had a sudden flashback to my dream a couple nights ago. Maybe I was getting what I wanted. I turned toward Alexander to smile encouragingly, but was taken aback by the red glint in his eyes.

"What…?" I began, when Alexander pulled back. He was on his feet and walked across the room, collapsing on the comfy chair. He placed his head in his hands and half-sighed, half-groaned. I sat up and looked at him. Feeling my gaze, he looked up with crazed eyes. They were still red, but they were fading. I stood up and went toward him."

"Stay there," he warned quietly. I swore his voice shook with some internal battle. I stopped. "I need a second to control myself."

My heart ached for him. Ever since Valentine Maxwell had told me that Alexander thirsted for my blood since the first time he saw me, it had been more and more difficult for him to control his desire around me. There had been several occasions where he'd been close to biting me, and once he actually did although it didn't break the skin. I wished there would be some way to make it easier for him, but the only solution I could think of was him making me a vampire.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He nodded, and when he looked up there was a faint smile on his face. I closed the distance and sat on his lap. He had his arms around me in a protective cage. I leaned up to kiss him again, this time more comforting than out of need. He seemed to appreciate the gesture.

_Crash!_

We both turned to see what the noise was, all traces of romance and hunger gone momentarily. Something small fell on the floor from the nightstand. It was made of silver and shaped like a small cylinder. It rattled on the floor and rolled toward us. It was a vial.

"What do you keep that for?" I asked. "Is it full of blood?" But Alexander quickly cooped it up and placed it back on the table.

"Why don't we go to sleep?" he asked, sounding wary and anxious. What was he so worried about? "I'm tired, and you look like you are, too." He pulled the skeleton key from a drawer on the stand and walked back to where I was. I stood up as he pushed the comfy chair away to reveal a door. He put the key in and expertly opened it. I peered inside.

It was completely dark, more so than his room. He walked in and lit a candle on a table. My eyes adjusted quickly to the light and I could see his black coffin. A painting of me was beside it, and dirt was sprinkled in a circle surrounding it. I felt the smile grow on my lips as I walked in. He opened the lid and lowered himself into it. Not wanting to be rude, I pulled my boots off and left them outside the casket. I lowered myself next to him, in the little room there was for me. When we were together forever, I hoped there were bigger coffins available. This was a little claustrophobic.

He pulled the lid down and I watched the faint glow from the candle disappear slowly. With a thud of the lid, all traces of light were gone. Now it was just Alexander and me.

"Good night," I said, even though it was morning.

I felt his lips press against mine, and I had to remind myself that he could see in this light. "Pleasant dreams," he breathed. His arms wrapped around my waist and snuggled into his chest.

It was so peaceful. All I could hear was his breathing and feel him exhaling on my hair. I wished I could stay here like this forever, being caressed by the one person I loved more than anyone or anything else in the world. Of course, that could be a possibility for me, but right now that wasn't important. All I could think was that I was here with Alexander and… sleep.

Sleeping in the coffin was oddly peaceful – or maybe it was just that I was in Alexander's arms. I didn't have nightmares or any legible dreams. Rather, everything felt… good, or maybe right. Yeah, it felt right.

I wasn't completely sure when I woke up, but not too long after I felt him stir at my side. "Good evening," he said, a smile in his voice. His hand tenderly cupped my chin and he kissed me. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, better than the last time we did this."

I'm glad it was dark inside because I didn't want to see his reaction. With his constant mood swings it gets hard to tell how he will react to a specific comment.

He lifted the lid and light streamed into my sight. At first it was too bright; I had to squint. But then my eyes adjusted and I could make out the shape of the candle and myself staring back at me in the portrait. Alexander rose next to me and helped me to my feet. It felt weird to be upright again after laying down for so long. He helped to steady me as I tugged my boots back on.

Back in his room, I looked at the painting he was working on. The background was black and in the top corner was a white cobweb. A spider hung from a thin line and was looking out what appeared to be a window. Displayed was a series of grand buildings made of marble and granite with high arches and columns. Like his portraits, even his paintings of architecture had every detail down to perfection.

"Where is this?" I asked with a gesture to the painting.

He turned to look at it, now shirtless and in black skinny jeans with a studded belt. Slipping on a new black t-shirt and a studded vest, he came to stand by me. "It's Bucharest," he said simply. "It's so beautiful there, especially at night."

"Do you miss it there?"

He shrugged. "In a way. But there's one thing that Romania doesn't have, and that's you." I gave him a tight squeeze. He sighed. "I should be leaving soon. Hopefully it won't take too long to get to Wonderland."

We walked down the stairs and went outside. The night was perfectly clear, and from this side of town you could see zillions of stars gleaming. His Mercedes was sparkling in the moonlight, sleek and beautiful. That reminded me…

"Are you driving?" I asked. "If you'll be following my parents, then won't they be able to see your car. They might get suspicious."

He smirked. "Who said anything about driving? I'm flying there."

Oh. Sometimes I forget that another perk of being a vampire is that you don't need a car to get around places.

"Be careful," I told him.

"I will. See you soon." He kissed me and ran around to one side of the Mansion. A second late a small black figure was airborne and flying away from Dullsville. I sat back on the front of the Mercedes and mulled over how awesome it would be to be able to fly freely. Then something caught my attention.

A piece of paper was held in place under the windshield wiper. Curious, I lifted it and pulled the paper from where it rested. Looking at it further I saw that it was folded. The front said 'Sterling' in blood red letters. My eyes almost popped out of the sockets. I opened it up and I had to grip the side of the car to keep from falling over.

All it said was:

_I know it was you._

**Dum, dum, dum…. Cliffy. For anyone who is a fan of Maximum Ride check out my new fanfic, Experiment Nightmare. It's not about the flock but it has a similar situation. Fans of vampires should like it. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Another Disclaimer: The fabulous Ellen Schreiber owns, not me. I do own the plot and one future character. **

_I know it was you._ The words kept running through my head. Who put it there? What was it talking about? And what did it have to do with Alexander? He obviously hadn't seen the note yet or else he would have stayed in town.

I was running back toward my home, passing by curious Dullsvillians wondering what was up with the crazy, out-of-breath Goth girl. Then they realized that I wasn't that big of a concern and went back to their petty worries over designer hand-bags and name brand tennis rackets. But I wasn't thinking about them right now. I had an obligation.

Being the only person in town to know of the true existence of vampires, I have a duty to protect them, not only from the dark creatures bite but also from finding out that they are alive. I had to figure out who has a score to settle with Alexander or it could end up hurting the him, me, or the both of us. I was tired of Dullsville being Vampireville; I just wished it could go back to him being the only vampire in town, and then eventually I would join him. But this was exactly what he had warned me about. A vampire living among mortals will attract unwanted, and dangerous, company. I wasn't completely sure how to handle it with him being gone.

It was safe to assume that there would be another vampire staying in Dullsville for some time, and it should be easy to pick them out of a crowd. All the other vampires I'd seen, whether here or in Hipsterville, had been Goth or Punk. If I saw another Goth running around that wasn't Alexander, I knew who I would be looking for. In a town this small, it was only a matter of time before a pale-skinned, dark-clothed vampire would be seen among the mortals.

When I reached my home I fumbled with the keys. I finally found the right one and opened the front door. My Mom was giving me a curious look, but I didn't really care about making small talk. She frowned as I ran right past her and flew upstairs.

My current outfit wouldn't cut the work I was doing. I traded skirt for black jeans and my 'Vampires Suck' t-shirt for a black camisole. I transferred the essentials – garlic powder, mace, compact with a mirror – from my purse into a tiny backpack I found in my closet. I threw a jacket in there, too, in case it got cold. I slipped the straps over my shoulders and went back to the living room.

Mom was waiting for me at the bottom of the steps. "Raven? What are you doing?" she admonished. "You get home without a word and now you're running out again? Can't you even say hello to me."

"Hi," I said, trying to make a straight-away for the door. Luckily she didn't stop me, but I could hear her sighing. I almost felt sorry, but I was on a mission. I had to keep everyone safe – at least as safe as possible without Alexander.

The sky was a cobalt blue with edges of orange still peeking in the west. Some stars twinkled like polka dots, and the moon was almost full. I already had a list of places to check out, but with Alexander gone I didn't have a means of transportation except foot. Our garage door was open, and in the corner something caught my attention. A bike. Even if it was Billy Boy's, it was better than nothing. I slid by our cars and dislodged the bike from piles of boxes and other accumulated trash over the years.

_Now, where would I find a vampire?_

What a stupid question to ask. I was already headed toward the logical answer. Dullsville Cemetery. We'd never had much success their, probably because it was too obvious of a place for a vampire to hide, but it was a start.

When I wheeled to the graveyard I hid the bike behind a tall oak tree. I casually turned in a 360. No one was around; the coast was clear. I launched myself up the gate – luckily I'd changed or this would have been more difficult – and fell over the other side with a _thud_. I quickly scrambled away from the fence before someone passed by and noticed me. Trust me; they would know it was me.

I'd learned tons of signs to look for when hunting for vampires, not just from Alexander, but also because I've loved vampires for as long as I can remember. Most of everything that I had read or seen applied to the vampires I've met: sunlight burns them, blood drinking, can turn into bats, sleep in coffins, etc. Even though there was a lot to vampire culture that I didn't know, I still knew a heck of a lot more than the average teen. The first thing I needed to look for was fresh graves.

To the best of my knowledge, no one had recently died in Dullsville. It's a small enough town that when someone sneezes everyone knows about it. I walked past the familiar tombstones, scanning the ground in all directions, but there were no new graves or hallowed-out ground.

I paused for a moment at my favorite monument – Alexander's grandmother's grave. There were old lilies resting on the pedestal. This is where Alexander spent a lot of his nights when I was asleep. He said that when he first moved here, he would talk to his grandmother when he felt lonely. Did he really talk to her? Well, I don't think so. But the grave was a beautiful tribute to her, and I can see why being here would comfort him. I had a weird vibe to pay respect to her, so I knelt before it and bowed my head.

"Grandma," I said quietly to the grave. "Alexander will be gone for the next couple of days, and I have no clue where to go from here. There may be a new vampire in town, one who might have a grudge against Alexander. If anything happens while he's away, we might be powerless to deal with it. Please give me some guidance."

Of course I wasn't expecting a response, but it felt good to get my thoughts off my chest. I sighed and made my way back over the gate.

My list of possible hideouts was slowly fading as the night grew darker. The Sinclair mill was torn down shortly after Alexander and I had been there to search for the Maxwell twins' coffins. There weren't many dark and secluded places in a preppy town like Dullsville. The old farm where we found my kitten Nightmare was a possibility, but it wasn't a good spot for a coffin unless the vampire was desperate.

This brought me to the next idea – Henry's tree house. Henry was Billy Boy's best friend, or as I call him the Nerd-mate. The last time we came here he had placed many security locks on the door that even geniuses, or the best lock pickers, couldn't crack. Maybe he removed them since then.

I rolled past many rich neighborhoods where the homes got bigger with every block. I finally pulled up in front of the Colonial-style home I was looking for. My bike dropped to the grass as I sprinted to the tree house, hoping no one would see me or was out back. Fortunately no one was up for a nighttime swim in the Olympic size pool. The tree house looked just as it had before, but the pulley that would have been used to hoist a coffin was no where to be found. _Maybe they had it removed._ There was no way to be sure, but the signs weren't promising. I climbed up the ladder.

As I expected, the locks were still firmly in place. No one, that is not mortal, could get inside. I peered in through the one small window. It didn't seem that much different. There was a table against the far wall that had beakers and test tubes on it. The massive telescope was right by the window I was looking through. Books were strewn about on the floor. One thing was different, though. The black curtain was removed. With that being gone, there was no chance that a coffin could be hidden here. I was defeated. _What else can I do without Alexander?_

"What are you doing here?"

I almost peed myself. I hadn't heard anyone approaching. Henry was on the ground below the tree house, staring up with an accusing look.

"I thought I left something up here a few months ago," I lied convincingly, although he didn't seem to believe me. "I guess I didn't."

I climbed down and hurried out of there before he could ask me any more questions. This visit was definitely making its way back to Billy Boy tomorrow at camp.

Now what?

I could always go back to Armstrong Travel Agency to see Janice and Ruby, but they wouldn't be too fond of me hacking into their computer again. I had to find a way to figure out who was out of town. That was my only logical option now.

As I rode back toward my home, loud rock music pulsed from behind me along with the sound of a motor. A second later a red Camaro pulled up beside me, Matt in the driver's seat and Trevor next to him. His blue eyes gleamed and he smiled at me.

"Hey Monster Girl, want a ride back to Matt's house? We can go back to the forest and redo your birthday." Matt shot him a warning glance.

I made a disgusted sound. "Yeah, and you'll wind up alone, drunk, and naked like before too. Don't underestimate me."

"Is that a yes?" He sounded hopeful.

I grinned. "In your nightmares. Get lost."

He grunted but accepted, and Matt sped off down the road out of view, back to his house no doubt. Trevor was staying with Matt… OH MY GOTH!

"Trevor!" I shouted, and flipped my backward and sped back toward his home.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry that this has been a while. School and soccer is getting kind of tight now, but in approximately 2 weeks I'll have more free time on my hands. Although I need to get a job. Oh well, I will try to keep this story cranking. **

**Just a reminder: Reviews make me happy. If I'm not happy, then there is no story. No story means everyone is unhappy. So please review for your own sake!! **

Trevor's home had always reminded me of a castle, ever since I was a little kid. It was probably the biggest home in all of Dullsville, although the Mansion would give it a run for its money. The Mitchells owned half of the town, and their home reflected it. The first time I saw it was when I was five, and more recently I went there to 1) get info about Luna from him and 2) try to save him from Luna. Now I may be going there to save him from _another_ vampire, and I don't even like the kid. The irony of it all sucked.

The lights were turned off, except for the automated garage floodlights that spilled over the driveway when I pulled my bike in. I wasn't sure how I was going to plan my grand break-in. With the Mitchells' wealth, they probably have a security system with built in booby traps, or, worse, policemen stationed inside. That would be paranoia in its most extreme form.

_Now, how would a vampire get into a locked, secure home?_ I wished I could think like a vampire now. A _vampire_ would have difficulty getting in, but a bat was different. All it would need is a crack in the ceiling, an open window. If it could crack the security system, it could probably get anything inside without anyone noticing.

Now, where to begin?

I walked the perimeter of the mansion, looking for any unusual signs along the house of intrusion. All the first story windows were sealed shut, and the back door was locked, too. I pressed my head against the main entrance and heard the beeping of an alarm. So it _was_ on. If there was a vampire living in the Mitchell home, it would be smart enough to know that there are people here who would want him gone.

After searching the rest of the outside, I found no sign on invasion. This was really frustrating; I wanted to give up and go home. _Tough it out, Madison,_ I mentally encouraged. _Do this for Alexander._

I rechecked the perimeter one more time. The lack of light was making it difficult, but I was used to darkness. My night vision was better than most people… that is, humans.

There had to be _something_ here that would help me out. I thought of the way I'd snuck into the Mansion a couple of times, through a broken window in the basement. I hadn't seen any windows near the ground, so that idea was out. Besides, the Mitchells would never leave any part of their home imperfect. _Think, Raven, think._ I had to get more creative.

When I came to the Mitchells' home a few months ago, I had only managed to get in because Mr. Ferguson was painting their home. That time I snuck in through the garage. The second time Trevor had let me in. I could try the garage again… I skittered back to where my bike rested against the side of the house. The sliding door didn't have a handle, so I dug my fingers under it and shoved, and shoved, and shoved some more until it felt like by arms would pop out of its sockets.

It didn't budge.

_Crap._

I was exhausted, and my arms hurt. I fell backwards and sat on the hard cement, feeling utterly defeated. Maybe I was wasting my time. Why would a vampire want to stay in an ultra swank home like the Mitchells', besides the fact that no one was staying there for the summer.

I looked up toward the sky, about ready to give up. Then I noticed something I hadn't before. On the second story, ever so slightly, a window was cracked open. And to my surprise, a giant tree was right by that window. What a break!

Feeling rejuvenated, I practically skipped to the tree. Some branches hung low enough to act as steps for me to scale up. I was an expert climber, almost as good as a squirrel or a cat. I launched myself from one branch to another, slowly working toward the open window. I was on my stomach, perpendicular to the opening, and inched forward. The sturdy wood held my wait, even as I edged toward the end of it. When I stretched out my hand, I could touch the glass. With a push I opened it to a space large enough for me to fit through. I repositioned myself so that I was sitting on the tree's extremity. Now, how to get through?

There was about a foot space between the branch and the window, just enough room that if I fell I would go splat – or at least be in a body cast for a while. I leaned forward, griping the frame of the window, and slowly leaned in. As I tilted into the window, I switched from sitting to squatting on the branch. I pushed off my back legs and felt myself lower into the house. My arms broke my fall, and I grunted as the rest of me hit the hardwood floor. I paused for a second to make sure no alarm went off, and then the coast was clear.

I had been in Trevor's house enough times to have a rough idea of its layout. It took me a couple tries, after turning down endless amounts of hallways filled with doors that led to unoccupied rooms, before I found the main staircase. Even with all the lights turned off it was too bright and open inside, not like people hadn't been residing in their for a couple weeks. I ran my hand along the marble railing to find no dust at all. The cleaning crew looked like it still made an appearance even though the family was away.

There was one place that was logical, even in a home like the Mitchells', for a vampire to be. The basement. I had no clue how to get there. I walked through a series of rooms – dining rooms, a recreation room, a kitchen made entirely of marble, and even a home theater – and I couldn't find a set of downward stairs. Most of the doors I opened led to other really big rooms that obviously had no purpose for a family of three. This wasn't working out as I planned, and for all I knew there could be surveillance cameras taping my intrusion. I sighed after opening the door to a pantry the size of my bedroom. I wasn't making much progress. There was a door across from it, one of the few I hadn't opened. The knob twisted and I pulled it open… to reveal a descending staircase. _Finally!_

You'd think that in a place as big as the Mitchells' there would be at least one room of the mansion that wouldn't be furnished, but you'd be wrong. The floor was carpeted and an array of leather couches encircled yet _another_ plasma screen TV hanging on the wall. This place had to be in the record books for most plasma screens in a home. To my dismay, there was no coffin in site. However, I could here weird noises coming from a door underneath the staircase. There was only one way to know what it was, and it would be against my nature to not find out by myself. I opened the door and peered in.

The room was utterly dark, impossible to see in. As soon as the door opened, a wave of heat came crashing on me. The strange noises that sounded like rattling metal became louder. I took a step in and my head tapped something dangling from the low ceiling. When I reached up, I realized what it was. A silver chain. It was attached to a bulb. I hoped for the best and yanked it downward. The room lit up instantly, and I gasped.

In the center of the room was a ring of dirt, and inside it was a single red coffin.

The lid was open, and the inside only had ruffled black sheets. The noise, which came from a furnace, grated against my eardrums, and I wondered how anyone could deal with the noise. Then again coffins did do a good job at blocking out sounds. I searched around for any other clues, only to find nothing. There wasn't a suitcase or duffle bag.

This was a good time to give up my inspection. I had found what I was looking for, and I would be excited to tell Alexander when he returned tomorrow night. He'd be thrilled that we knew where the vampire was staying – and possibly pissed that I would risk being alone with a maybe-dangerous vampire.

As I made my way back through the home, I made sure that any sign of my presence was removed. It was easier to find my way through the house this time. I came back to the main hallway and paused. The security box was by the front door, and instead of beeping to signal it was on, the monitor glowed like it had just been used. My heartbeat accelerated as I approached. The screen read _Security Mode: Off._ I think my heart stopped for a second.

Footsteps from upstairs echoed through the big living room, and I knew I had to get out fast. There was no way I could risk going back through the window. _Should I use the front door? Would they hear me?_ The steps came closer, and I knew I had to act. I reached for the front door and pulled, thankful as heck that it opened silently. I scrambled out the door and closed it slowly, hearing the barely audible click of the lock.

I had no idea who was in Trevor's home at two in the morning, but I knew I couldn't stick around to see who it was.

I launched onto the seat of my bike and pedaled out of there like a mad man. I had made the greatest escape I could imagine, and my heart was still beating wildly with raw fear and excitement. Vampire should come to Dullsville more often.


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the shortness. I have a three-day weekend, and even though I'll be pretty busy I think it's safe to expect at least one more chapter by Monday. If I don't have it done, please don't kill me! **

_Alexander comes back tonight! I can't wait to tell him all that I discovered last night. Maybe we can meet the vampire face-to-face…_ My mind was locked in a position between sleep and consciousness. I was aware of several things around me: the soft bed sheets, Nightmare curled against my arm, even that I'd fallen asleep in my boots. I didn't return home until sometime past 2 in the morning, so my body was drained. All I wanted to do was sleep a little longer.

Then I heard what was keeping me semi-awake. It reminded me of the ringing you have in your ears that interferes with your hearing and thinking. If I wait it out long enough it will go away…

I heard it again, and then all of a sudden it went away. Pleased, I shifted on the mattress and continued where I left off. _Okay, when you go downstairs, head toward the kitchen. Take the door across from the giant pantry, down the flight of stairs, and go in the entryway beneath them. There will be a red coffin. Alexander will want to investigate immediately, so I have to remember everything. Take the quickest route, cover the tracks, no one will ever know we were in there._

My musings spiked, reaching a level of panic that I hadn't felt since I'd been at Trevor's home. _I wasn't trying to cover my tracks from only the Mitchells. If they knew I was there, they would send me to Juvie or something. But if the vampire caught me, I would be in mortal danger, and so would Alexander. Who did I hear in the house? Was the vampire friendly, or sinister? _But of course he was evil; I saw it in the note.

Just then the noise picked up again, and I hid my head under the pillow. My brain was too fried to indentify the source. Nightmare stirred beside me, and she pawed at my arm. She was always a silly cat.

I grumbled and withdrew from under the pillow. "What?" I asked her. She stared at me with her big green eyes. I chuckled and rubbed her soft black fur. She purred and hopped off the bed.

I sighed and fell back on my bed. Now, back to sleep…

The doorbell rang. I glared at the ceiling. Reluctantly I rose from bed and shuffled down the steps. The bell sounded again once more before I opened it, ready to bark at the inconvenience. "What the h-" I began, but came up short.

Becky was standing in the door, a pout on her lips and her eyes slanted. It was a look I was used to seeing when I got up late on a school day and she had to drag me out of bed so we could be there _extra early_ so she could meet up with Matt. What did I do wrong this time?

"I called your phone like three times," she said, loping into my living room. "I was going to tell you I was coming over, but no one answered."

"That's because no one is home," I said with unnecessary slowness. "My parents and Billy Boy are out for the day, and I was sleeping."

"Of course you were," she grumbled. "It's like, five in the evening. Even _that's_ late for you, living like you're a vampire."

"Would you expect anything less from me?"

She rolled her eyes. "I've been trying to reach you to tell you something important," she went on in a cryptic tone. "Matt and I went to Hatsy's with the guy's soccer team, and a boy I'd never seen before came in. He came up to us and asked if we knew Alexander!"

"What?!" My jaw hit the floor. "Tell me exactly what happened!"

"Well, at first he asked Matt and me if 'you happened to know an Alexander Sterling that lived in town'." She made air quotes when speaking. "Matt asked him why he wanted to know, but Trevor cut in and told him that Alexander lived here."

"He _did_ that?" I was stunned. Sure, I should expect it of Trevor, but that didn't mean it was right. "You don't tell strangers where people live. He may be a stalker or a serial killer!"

"Relax, Raven. Trevor didn't tell him where Alexander lived. He learned after the Maxwell incident."

"What did he look like?" She hadn't mentioned anything about him being creepy or Goth, which would have caused major gossip in Dullsville.

"He was tall and thin, with blond hair and brown eyes. He kind of reminded me of Alexander because they are both extremely polite. And he was handsome, but no where near as good looking as Matt."

That was it? "He wasn't Goth or punk?" I inquired. There had to be something she wasn't telling me.

She shook her head. "No, he was wearing khaki shorts and a polo shirt."

"And he wasn't creepy? Was he unusually pale?"

"He was a little pale, but creepy? No way! Luc's a really cool guy. He was telling us stories about playing soccer back in California, so all the guys accepted him quickly. He said he was in town to visit relatives."

I had trouble believing this story.

"Is there something I should know?" she asked, seeming confused. "Do you know him from somewhere? Is he a friend of Alexander's? You know what, you should meet him!" She clapped her hands together and grinned. "Luc is coming over to Matt's house later tonight. We can go over and say hi. He could probably tell you all about life in California…"

"Is it a party?"

"No, just Matt, Trevor, Luc, and me. You can come by too. And, of course, Alexander is welcome to come, too."

"You know what, maybe I will come by. I'm just gonna wait until Alexander comes home from… another art show. He wouldn't want to miss it, and I'm sure he wants to meet the guy who asked for him."

"Oh, yeah, maybe it is good that I invited you two. I should go now. Dinner's probably ready on the farm. See ya there!" We hugged and she pranced out the door.

"This should be interesting," I muttered to myself.

**Review please! Reviews make the world go round.**


	12. Chapter 12

**As promised, it's up today. I intended for this chapter to be longer.**

**This chapter is dedicated to one loyal fan: mystery625. Thanks for your dedication! I hope this is satisfying and will leave you wanting more! **

**I'd like to mention that I'm neglecting school work to finish this (not like that hasn't happened before) and I hope the next chapter will be out soon, but I can't guarantee it. I won't be home until really late tomorrow night, and on Saturday I have SAT's and I'll possibly be hanging out with friends later that night. **

"Raven, we're home!" Mom appeared in the doorway first, carrying several paper bags with major designer names on them. Dad tailed her with a large rectangular box between his arms. I could only guess what they were. No, it wasn't a lamp. And I doubt he would buy presents for Billy Boy or me. It could only be, you guessed it, golf clubs. With the amount of clubs there were in Dullsville, I was surprised there weren't more reports of beatings with them, except for the occasional abuse of lawns.

Billy Boy filed in behind them with a grin spread from one cheek to the other. As much as he got on my nerves, I was glad he was able to associate with people who were like him. I knew what it was like to be different, even if he was a nerd and I was a Goth. As polar opposite as those two worlds seem, they were a lot closer than one can imagine.

"The house seems to be in order," Dad mused, surveying the closet for discarded beer bottles or garbage.

I rolled my eyes. "I told you I wasn't going to throw a party. Now I have to go see Alexander."

"But we just got home." Mom sounded disappointed, but not surprised.

"Be glad I waited that long," I said. I wiggled through three disapproving family members and was off to find Alexander.

When I reached the Mansion, the sky was a dull gray. The Mercedes was still parked along the driveway, but no lights were visible from the front. I looked up at the attic window hoping to find Alexander waiting for me, but not even a friendly ghost was there. I knocked on the door. A minute later Jameson opened it and peered down at me with his buggy eyes.

"Hello, Miss Raven," he said, gesturing inside the Mansion. "Alexander is not home yet, but I suspect he will be soon. You may wait for him if you want in his room."

"Thanks," I replied with an oversized grin.

Up in the bat cave, I fell back unto Alexander's bed. I breathed in deeply, smelling the scent of him on the sheets. The familiar smell sent butterflies through my stomach. It was only yesterday morning we were here, kissing and sleeping under the protection of his coffin. Without him, I felt like I could hardly breathe, even if he was gone for a day. It was like part of me was with him, as part of him was with me, too.

I imagined what it would be like to be one of the Undead. Living in the Mansion would be a dream come true, waking in a coffin with the person I loved more than anyone else beside me. Jameson would bring us breakfast in bed – bloody steaks and wine – and we would explore every corner of the home in search of bats and spiders. While the inhabitants of Dullsville were peacefully asleep, we would rule the night as bats. All our needs, both physical and sensual, would only be filled by each other. In the future I could even picture little dark-haired children running around with the ghosts.

But until that time, we have to weather another vampire invasion on Dullsville.

I was wrapped in my imagination until something on the nightstand caught my eye. The tiny cylindrical vial twinkled in the moonlight. Its contents were a secret to me, and I wondered why Alexander had kept it revealed. What was he hiding? Would he mind if I took a peek?

Curiosity got the best of me, as it usually did. It wasn't like I was snooping around his room for it; he left in on the table, like an invitation for me to look. He had to know me well enough to know that I would eventually look for it. I held the tube in one hand, fitting easily in my palm. I uncapped the dark cork and wiggled the vial under my nose. It didn't have the salty smell of blood, but was so sour that my nose wrinkled involuntarily. The liquid inside was dark and thick, like the consistency of spoiled milk. I couldn't identify it. I raised it toward my lips and the liquid trickled inexorable toward the opening.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

My blood chilled and the vial nearly slipped from my grasp. I whirled, seeing Alexander standing in the doorway. Looking at my Gothic Mate sent a wave of fear crashing over me. His eyes were tight, hard as the chocolate color they were. His body was tense, his lips drawn in a taut line. I hadn't felt his familiar presence until I heard his voice.

I recapped the vial. "What would happen if I drink it?" I asked, my voice shaking.

He snatched it from my hands and placed in the nightstand's drawer. "I'm not sure," he admitted as he straightened up. "Let's just say it won't have pleasant side affects."

That didn't sound promising. "So… what _was_ that?"

"I can't tell you. You shouldn't be fooling around with the unknown," he said tersely and then sighed. "Raven, I'm sorry if I'm coming across as irritable. I'm not upset with you; it was my own fault for leaving it out. I just had a rough night. There was nothing in Wonderland, no sign of vampires at all. It was like everything – sightings, attacks, coffins – picked up and left."

"Um… I'm sorry it was bad, but I, uh, have some news you should hear." Even though my tone was uncertain, I was bouncing like a jackhammer to tell him on the inside.

His eyes lit up. "Really? What is it?"

"I went to Trevor's house last night." I shot him a warning glance as he was about to interrupt. He was still sour about Trevor, and knowing I went there didn't sit well with him. But he let me continue without a word. "His parents are gone for the summer and in their basement I found a coffin!"

I thought Alexander's eyes would pop out of the socket. He gaped openly at me.

"I had to look for it then," I added quickly. It seemed like he lost the ability to speak. "I checked every place in town and found nothing. Then Trevor drove by and reminded me that his house was vacant. I had to sneak in then or I would be going against my nature."

"You risked being alone with a vampire to find him for me?" He didn't seem as mad as I thought.

I nodded.

He sighed. "I guess I should have expected that too. As stupid as your move was, this will make my work so much easier." His eyes softened and he wrapped his arms around my waist. "I'm glad you did it." He kissed me tenderly.

I broke it reluctantly. "I have something else to tell you," I said. He grew expectant for my words. "I think I may know who the vampire is."

He appeared taken aback. "Did you meet him at Trevor's home?"

"No!" I said before he could get angry. "Before I came here, Becky showed up at my house. She said that last night at Hatsy's a new guy showed up and asked for you. I didn't recognize the name, but she called him Luc."

His brow furrowed. "That name sounds familiar, but I don't recall where I know it from. I wonder how he knows me. What else did you hear from her?"

"Just that he wasn't dressed Goth or punk, which I think is really strange. Also everyone seemed to love him even though he was new. It was like he had Becky under a spell, although it wasn't too effective because Becky still preferred Matt over him. He's only been here since last night, apparently. That's all I know so far."

"That definitely sounds like he could be a vampire." He paced around the room. "Now the question is do we go to Trevor's home to dispose of the coffin or do we search for Luc in town?"

That reminded me. I grinned at him sheepishly.

"What?" he asked warily.

"I know where we can find Luc. Actually, we were invited to meet him at Matt's home. I told Becky we'd be there as soon as you came home."

"Well, this is it, I guess," he said after a minute. "If all else fails, we need to be prepared. Do you have your garlic powder?"

I patted my purse. "It's sealed tightly."

"Good, hopefully we won't need it. But just in case I'll grab my antidote."

**Sorry for the ending, but I wanted to get this out as soon as possible. Reviews will make this story come faster!!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Finally some action! It's nice and long, too, for once. No promises for when the next chapter comes out because our soccer team has one more game and we could make the District Playoffs if we win. **

**Who else read the first chapter of Vampire Kisses 6? Ellen Schreiber has it posted on her web site and I must admit that I can't wait for May 19****th****! Who else is excited??**

**I hope everyone enjoys!**

"Are you certain?"

We were stopped at a red light in downtown Dullsville. Alexander's head was turned in my direction, one eyebrow raised to question me. I still hadn't briefed him on all of the details about our new intruder.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure he has it out for you. After you left, I found this note on your car." I pulled it out from my purse. "It's addressed to 'Sterling', and on the inside it said '_I know it was you_.' Do you have any clue what that's supposed to mean?"

The light changed and Alexander sped through the boutique-after-boutique that was Dullsville square. "Let me see," he said absently, sticking his hand toward me without looking away from the road. I handed it to him and he looked at it momentarily. "The handwriting doesn't look familiar. But _'I know it was you_'?" He shook his head. "There hasn't been much that I've been involved in since I left Romania."

He wasn't kidding. After being here for a little less than a year, the most he had done was either spend time with me, at the cemetery alone, or in the Mansion. The only time he'd been out of Dullsville was when he went to Wonderland, which was only a 24 hour trip, and to Hipsterville. His first time there, he spent weeks in the Manor House avoiding the Maxwells. The second trip there was to return Valentine to Jagger at the Coffin Club… huh?

"Do you think it has something to do with the Coffin Club?" I asked.

His eyes widened. "It's a definite possibility. Could you imagine the consequences if someone found out that I was Phoenix Slater? That news would spread very quickly among the vampire community, and once it reached Jagger he would be pissed. I have no doubts that he would come back here immediately, and the bond we formed would be shattered. I was enjoying that we weren't enemies anymore."

The possibilities didn't look too good. "But we don't know for sure," I cut in. "When we get there we can find out for sure what this Luc character wants."

"Yes, we'll be there shortly. Be on guard and watch out for Becky. Even if she doesn't believe he's dangerous, we know better. I'll watch out for Matt."

"Um… I think Trevor's going to be there, too." I noticed his jaw clench at Trevor's name.

"Like I said, I'll be watching out for Matt," he said tightly. "Trevor knows enough about monsters to take care of himself." I couldn't argue with that.

We arrived at Matt's home, both of us being slightly on edge. Neither of us knew what to expect, but as we pulled in something felt off. His Camaro wasn't in the lot, which immediately worried me. Becky had told me to meet her here, right? Another unusual sign was that it seemed like no one was home; all the lights from inside their mega-home were turned off. We hadn't seen anyone in the backyard either. Alexander turned off the engine and gave me a knowing glance.

"Stay here," he warned. "I want to investigate." He opened the door.

"Wait! I want to go with you." I was ready to use any excuse that would convince him. "There's safety in numbers."

Sadly, he wasn't budging on this issue. "You've already done enough. Lock the doors and I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

"But –"

It was too late to argue. He already vanished into the night.

Did he honestly expect me to stay here? I swear, sometimes it was like he didn't know me. For once, I was going to try to behave for his sake, however difficult that task may be.

And it just got that much more difficult.

A shadow swept across the front lawn, like the passing of a quick wind. It brought with it the same chill, so much to the point where I shivered with fear. It was a shadow in the shape of a human. And it was headed toward the back yard!

All reminders of obeying Alexander were gone; I had to warn him.

I raced out of the car; I couldn't let him fight alone, even if I was only 'getting in the way'. I had my secret weapon handy – garlic powder. When I reached the back yard, I scanned the surroundings with a cautious urgency. It was too dark, so much that even I could barely make out any details of my surroundings. Even though this marred my ability, I suddenly realized that a vampire would have no trouble seeing. I am standing around doing nothing, vulnerable for attack. Why don't I ever think before I act?

I walked along the side of the home, by the canopied-patio, traveling by what was visible and so that I had something solid to protect my back. This whole fighting solo issue can be solved so easily. All it would take is one bite.

This was almost as frustrating as looking for the coffin at Trevor's home. At least there I had an inkling of what I wanted to find; now I wasn't so sure. Did I want to find the mysterious shadow guy? Would I find Alexander instead? What if it's already too late?

The night was unusually still. A cold sweat brewed on the back of my neck. Why couldn't I hear anything? My breathing sounded harsh against the utter silence. My fingertips brushed along the edge of the wall, guiding me as I searched blindly for either the wraith person or Alexander. When I ran out of wall to walk along, I had to make a decision: continue so I could warn Alexander or go back to the car. I was scared out of my mind and I had no way of knowing where to go if I went after my Gothic Mate. There was only one thing to do.

I sprinted back the way I came.

"Finally."

The voice was like gun shot in the distance, startling clear yet it sounded as though it was so close that it paralyzed you. I stopped running immediately. The words enclosed around me in the dark night, as soft as a caress. Cold breath floated on my skin from behind me. I felt no presence at all, and the voice was chillingly sweet. I didn't recognize the speaker.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked with a lot more confidence than I felt. My voice held no worry, only strength.

"The real question is _who are you_?" The speaker's voice was closer this time. I felt _something_ circling around. "You are much too beautiful to be out here alone."

That was the first time I saw him, and instantly I knew that he wasn't a regular teenage boy. His hair was longish, about chin length, and the color of golden wheat. His brown eyes held tints of gold in it, too. The eyebrows that arched over them were long and thin, slanted over his eyes almost in the shape of the letter V. There was an evil glint in his eyes that proved he was more than a mere prep. Was this Luc? He definitely fit the description.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "My name won't be so important when I'm kicking your butt."

He chuckled evilly. I had to admit that despite the depravity behind it, it sounded extremely sexy. If it was him, no wonder everyone was swooning over him already. "You have a bit of an attitude, don't you? That will really serve you well if you were to join the Underworld." He flashed his fangs with a wicked grin. "Would you care to join me there?" His hand was open toward me like an invitation. Did he really want me to become one of the Undead? I'd wanted nothing more than the opportunity to become a vampire, but this was not the way I expected or hoped it would happen.

"Uh, I think _not_," I said harshly. My pulse was thumping like crazy; I was certain he could hear it.

He moved closer, so that we were only inches apart. I could feel the coldness of his skin radiating in the small distance between us. "It's too bad you won't come willingly," he sighed glumly. "I really didn't want to take you there by force." He licked his lips and flashed his fangs again. He leaned his lips toward my neck.

I took a few steps back. "What's the purpose of taking me now?" I challenged. "We aren't on sacred ground, so I won't be bonded to you for eternity. Why change me now?"

He paused. "You do have a good point," he said. "_If_ I were after an eternal mate. I'm not ready for love, I'm afraid. I'm looking for recruits." He sprang at me, lightning quick, that the only defense I could do was throw my hands up to protect my throat.

"_NO!"_

Something rammed into me, but not from where I was expecting. Thin arms enclosed me, hurdling with me to the ground. Extra pressure fell on top of us, along with an angered _hiss._ The person who was entangled with me drew in their breath sharply and ground their teeth together audibly. He jabbed an elbow into the ribcage of the guy on top of him and shouldered him off of us.

I scrambled on my hands and knees away from the scuffle. I was beginning to make out the shapes of the combatants. I recognized the fair hair and skin of the guy from before. The second one I knew as soon as I heard his voice. Dark hair fell over his face, but I could clearly make out the tension and hatred in the deadly glares Alexander was giving the blond boy. He wasn't happy about coming to my rescue… again, just as I was pissed with myself for having to make him save me, again.

They were circling each other in low crouches, baring their fangs and daring the other to make the first move. The blond guy's only reason to be angry at Alexander was that he'd interrupted his attempt to bite me, while Alexander's resentment came from the almost-attack and frustration with me. Two teen vampires were fighting in front of me, fueled by fury. I knew I should be afraid, but this was like the movies I love come to life. It was like a train wreck – the wreckage was going to be horrid but the action was addictive.

The possible-Luc launched at Alexander, and at the last second he sidestepped the attack and grabbed the blonde's shirt in his hands. With a growl he picked the boy up and threw him over his shoulder on the ground. His breath released in a gasp with the impact, but he rushed to his feet, his blond hair filled with grass and other debris. He ran toward my boyfriend, but stopped suddenly. All three of us heard it and turned toward the noise and turned in its direction.

A car engine roared, coming closer to us. The familiar red Camaro pulled into the driveway, the headlights flashing over the back yard. My adrenaline spiked as I realized what was about to happen. Two vampires plus fluorescent lights does not equal happiness. Like I feared, they recoiled from the light, Alexander ducking under the cover of the canopy – which was out of the headlight's range – and the other jumping behind a bush. I blinked rapidly as my eyes adjusted to the brightness.

Matt, Becky, and Trevor stepped out of the sports car and approached me with looks of confusion on their faces. "Hey Raven," Becky said as she waved. "I didn't know you were until we saw the Mercedes. We had to run out quickly to buy some patties for the grille. Uh…" She paused. "Hmm, that's funny. I thought I saw Alexander and Luc here a minute ago."

"Speaking of which," Matt cut in. "Weren't the Tiki torches lit when we left? They couldn't have blown out."

Luc? So that guy _was_ Luc.

Alexander reappeared holding a plate and munching on potato chips. "I'm sorry to be such a horrible guest," he apologized. "But I was hungry so I helped myself to some snacks." He cracked another chip in his mouth for emphasis. I wanted to laugh at his cover story.

Luc also emerged from the bush brushing off his clothes and hair as he approached us. His bitter expression was gone, and he looked open and light. He hardly looked like the guy who attacked me. "I dropped my cell phone," he lied smoothly. His voice was calm and seductive.

"Luc, this is my friend Raven, the one I was telling you about," Becky introduced. He smirked and his eyes sparked with something I couldn't detect. Malevolence, but with a hint of scorn.

"Hello." He held out his hand for me, and after I looked at it for a second I shook it reluctantly. His cool grasp was unnerving.

"And this is her boyfriend, Alexander Sterling," she continued, gesturing toward my guarded boyfriend. "But I'm sure you already met since you were asking about him yesterday."

Luc laughed. "No, I'm afraid we haven't met before now." He raised his hand again. "Pleased to finally meet you, _Alexander_."

**Haha, evil ending! I'm starting to love doing this. Please Review!!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Two chapters of action in a row. And it's another long one. I'm on a roll! Enjoy!!!**

**I own nothing, except for Luc!! Haha I love my evil character.**

"Could you excuse us for a minute?" Alexander asked to Matt and Becky. We were sitting around a table on the patio, enjoying the starlit night and grilled food. Luc and Trevor were in the pool. They were messing around and laughing like they'd known each other their whole lives. It was kind of creepy how they connected, but then again Trevor did have an allure to him that vampires love. He's just as wicked as they are.

"Go ahead," Matt said around a bite of burger.

"Thanks." Alexander wrapped his fingers through mine and pulled me toward the edge of the woods surrounding Matt's house. We didn't want to go out of site, but it was important to stay far enough away that no one – especially Luc – could eavesdrop.

"I think you know what I'm going to say," Alexander began, looking toward the two teenage boys fooling around.

"Now?" Sure, an adventure would be fun, but I hadn't hung out with Matt or Becky for a while, either. "We got here an hour ago. They're going to wonder why we're leaving so soon."

"You know what we have to do," he went on earnestly. "This may be the only chance we have to get Luc's coffin while he's distracted. I can't go to Trevor's house alone because I don't know where the coffin is. I need you to show me."

Hmmm. Tempting, very tempting. This was probably the first time Alexander admitted that he needed me for an exploration. After all the times I'd begged him to come along and he saying no – even if I went along anyway – he actually asked for my help. I had to write this down to document the moment or else I probably won't believe it happened in the future.

"Okay, we can go now, but Matt and Becky will really be disappointed." I looked over reluctantly towards my only friends. If they knew what we were doing, or that vampires existed, for that matter, I'm sure they would understand. Although they may not like that they invited two vampires over for a hang-out. They would get used to it.

He squeezed my hand. "I know. I'm having fun too, but this is necessary. If we don't go now then they might be in danger if Luc stays here any longer."

I nodded. "Let's go."

We headed back to the patio where the couple was still at. I scooped up my purse and placed it over my shoulder. "I'm really sorry," I told them. "We have to leave now."

She _did_ look disappointed. "So soon? It's not that late out. You of all people should be enjoying the night."

Alexander cut in for my sake. "There's a family emergency," he said seriously, so much that I almost believed him myself. "Jameson called and said that I needed to get home right away. I am really sorry we couldn't stay longer."

Trevor and Luc came over to us, water pooling on the floor where they were standing. "You're leaving?" Luc asked. His gaze pierced through me like pins. I dropped my head to avoid his scrutinizing eyes.

"Yes." Alexander met his stare head on with determination.

"Whatever," Trevor interrupted, breaking their staring – or perhaps _glaring_ – match. "Vampires don't belong here," he practically sneered. He turned to Luc and waited for a response.

I saw something flash over Luc's eyes, but just as quickly as it came it disappeared. After a second of hesitation he added, "Right."

"Come on, we don't have to deal with this," Alexander whispered in my ear. He tugged my elbow toward the driveway.

"Bye," I called over my shoulder. I caught Becky and Matt waving, and Trevor and Luc laughing, before I couldn't see them any longer.

Just as we passed out of their site, I heard Trevor mutter, "_Vampires_. Who would seriously want to be one?" I was pleased to hear that there was no response to his question, whether it was rhetorical or not.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

We pulled up Trevor's street, which was just as empty as his home. They were so rich that their home was on its own block, so there wasn't really the issue of dealing with neighbors. Alexander cut off the engine and we exited the car. "Ready?" he asked. I nodded, and he sighed. "Okay, I need you to show me how you got in before."

"Alright." I walked along the east side of the home, toward the giant tree that had been my ladder last night… or maybe this morning. I can't remember. I pointed to the window I'd entered through, but to my chagrin it was closed. "It _was_ open, but I guessed whoever was in the home with me must have closed it."

Alexander's eyes were so wide I thought they would fall on the ground. I guess I'd forgotten to tell him that I heard footsteps inside his home when I was there. I suddenly realized how bad that situation could have been. "Um, before I left I thought I heard footsteps upstairs, although I'm pretty sure someone else was there too because the security system was turned off in between the time I entered and left."

"Or rather you breaking in and sneaking out," he corrected and shook his head. "You could have been in serious danger!"

"I never heard anyone enter, and if I heard them a floor above me I would have known if someone got close to me." That didn't even sound reassuring to my own ears, so I knew he wasn't convinced.

"It's not just a matter of protecting you, but whether that person saw you personally. If he or she recognized you, then that might be more dangerous than if they were to hurt you. They could use that information against you, or us, and we might be in a greater mess than we are already in."

Well, when he put it like that.

"I'm going in," he said. "I'll find an opening and I'll open it from the other end so you can come in."

"What if the alarm is on? You can't open a door from the other end without tripping it."

"That obviously doesn't apply to _everything_ since you came through a window when it was on," he countered. "Just trust me, and until then I have something for you to do." He handed me his car keys. "Park the car in a hidden area. We don't want any locals seeing it."

I rolled my eyes but conceded. As much as I hated to do so, I was going to make an extra effort to obey Alexander, especially after what happened at Matt's house.

I parked the car down the street behind two very large trees – it took me a couple minutes to get it right with my _fabulous_ driving skills. Sarcasm, in case you couldn't tell. Part of me wondered how we were going to take out the coffin when his car was parked away from the home, but I would ask him when the situation arose.

I walked back to the Mitchells' home to see the window that I'd come through now open. A dark figure leaned against the opening, and as I got closer I recognized the pale full lips that I have grown to love pulled into a smirk.

"This is the best I can do," he apologized. "You'll have to climb up like you did last time."

_Thanks_, I though sarcastically. But I couldn't be mad at him. At least he was letting me go along on the adventure.

I scurried up the tree in record time and cautiously slid along the branch closest to the window. Alexander held my wrists securely when I got close enough and helped me in the home without causing a major scene.

"Quickly, before your visitor returns," he whispered. "We have to dispose of the coffin."

I led him through the labyrinth-like second floor and down the spiraling staircase into the foyer. "What happens once we get rid of it?" I asked. We were now by the kitchen.

"He won't have a safe domain to sleep in. He can sleep as a bat, but it isn't comfortable at all. He'll either go looking for a new coffin – which if he does I'll be able to cut him off at the graveyard – or leave town. But if he is really determined, he might want to finish what he came here for as soon as possible. He won't be happy to find his coffin gone, but he can't prove that we did it." He laced his fingers through mine and led me into the kitchen. "In here, first. I think we will need a few garbage bags."

_For what?_ But I didn't argue.

We opened several cabinets and drawers all we found were cups, silverware, and expensive looking china. I was pretty sure they could have opened a store with the amount of dishes that they owned with seemingly no purpose. It was like all the flat screens around the home. Seriously, why do all the small families have so much more than they need?

"You know, they might be in the pantry," I suggested after a few minutes of fruitless searching.

"Alright." We walked toward the closet just outside of the kitchen when Alexander paused suddenly.

"What? Is someone coming?" I was getting worried we were about to be caught.

To my surprise, he sniffed the air. Now I was really confused. "No, no one's coming," he said slowly. "But this will answer a major question about how Luc survives in Dullsville."

"Huh?"

Alexander took a couple steps backward to stand in front of the stainless-steel sub-zero refrigerator. He tugged at the double doors and opened them as far as they could. I gasped.

The fridge was full of bottles of a dark red liquid. On every level there were jugs, cups, and vials full of it. It didn't take a genius – or a vampire enthused teenager – to figure out what was contained in them. Blood.

"How did he –" I began, but Alexander shook his head.

"It smells fresh," he commented. "Relatively fresh, anyway. Maybe a week or two old. You know where he got it from." The last sentence was dripping with sadness, and I knew instantly what he was referring to. I couldn't help but feel remorse for the innocent lives. This was obviously one of the reasons that Alexander hated the vampire life. He could never kill. This was what he wanted to protect me from.

"Let's check the pantry," he said after a moment of silence. My throat was tight so I could only nod. I led him in it and he whistled quietly. "Impressive," he mused. I rolled my eyes half-heartedly.

Stacked on one of the shelves was a box of garbage bags. He retrieved a few and I took him to the door opposite of this room. It revealed the dark staircase leading to the basement.

We tiptoed down quickly and he followed me to the cellar door beneath the stairs. The furnace was pumping loudly. Couldn't the Mitchells afford a better heater? Sheesh it was annoying. Maybe the money they should use on fixing it was wasted on unnecessary accessories for the home. Once inside, I was pleased to see that the red coffin was where it had been before. Then something occurred to me.

"Um, Alexander? How are we going to take out the coffin?" It doesn't, like, magically shrink, does it?

His eyes darted over to an object resting against the far wall. I was able to make out its basic shape and, I must admit, I was quite surprised by how convenient life can be at times. It was a hammer.

He walked over to the coffin. "Luc didn't think this one through so much." He shook it briefly and smiled when it didn't budge. "See? He nailed the coffin to the ground because it's only logical to remove it by sneaking it out. What he didn't expect was that there is an easier way to take out a coffin, and that's to smash it into smaller pieces."

My eyes widened when Alexander picked up the hammer and pounded it downward in a fast motion. I flinched at the impact, closing my eyes. Damn, that was loud. Was there a quieter way to do it so, I don't know, the people from China won't be able to hear? I peeked to see the damage. A chunk of the thick red-painted wood caved in. The hammer severed the closed lid, tearing it almost in half in just one strike.

"How much longer will this take?" I asked after he took a few more whacks at it. There was a pile of splintered wood building up on the bottom of the lid that was still nailed to the floor.

"Not too long. I want to break it down into as small of pieces as I can." With one final, ominous crack, he smiled grimly. "There, now help me collect the debris." I handed him one of the garbage bags and opened the one I carried. We picked up the wood and placed it in the bags. We really only needed one for the job, but two smaller bags were easier to carry than one giant one. When he was satisfied, he replaced the hammer and we hurried out of the cellar and up the steps.

Nothing was out of place, so we ran through the mansion to the window where I'd entered. We threw the bags, tied shut, out to the ground and we climbed down the giant tree. We were so excited – we'd just successfully destroyed a vampire's coffin. The consequences were unknown, but we'd play it by ear until then. I showed Alexander where the car was as we were crossing the road.

Bright lights flashed from around the corner, streaming in on us like someone had flipped a switch to make it day. I stared like a deer in the headlights – well, it was a teenage Goth girl in the headlights –as a police car strolled down the street. Alexander hissed as the headlights touched his skin. He recoiled and, when I looked over, had disappeared.

"Alexander?" My voice had little sound, driven away by fear.

"Raven!" Alexander called from behind a tree where the Mercedes was parked. "Get over here now before they notice you!"

Just then, the officer in the car acknowledged that something wasn't right. A quizzical look creased his features. I had only seconds.

I dove under the cover of the trees. I hoped that I wasn't recognized specifically even if the policeman saw that there was a person here.

Alexander and I waited anxiously behind the tree, our breathing quickened by adrenaline. The car lazily rolled by where we were. The officer examined the area closely from his car. Seeming disappointed after observing for what felt like an extraordinary long amount of time, he drove away. I released the breath that I didn't realize I was holding and nearly collapsed to the ground. Alexander held me firmly.

"That was close," I said after I was sure the officer was far away from us.

"Yeah," Alexander agreed. "Let's get out of here now, although pulling out is going to be hard because of your horrible parking skills."

I resisted the urge to smack him.

**Again, no guarantees for updates, but I hope it will be soon. Remember, reviews will make it come faster. Please Review!!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry it took me a while to update. I had some writer's block.**

**The good/bad news: Soccer is officially over with. It's kind of sad, but I'm glad because I have tons of schoolwork to do. But here's the crappy part. We had a fun mini-practice just relax after the season and I rolled my ankle. What kind of luck is that?**

**Now over 20 reviews – cool! But I think we can do better than that. Review Please!**

Alexander drove me home with a tense quietness. We were too worked up to talk, almost like we were afraid that if one of us spoke the police would overhear. I felt really bad for not reacting sooner; I could have been the cause for a very bad and unnecessary incident. I felt guilty. It seemed like my stomach was doing aerobics, flip-flopping in and performing summersaults.

When we reached my house, he turned off the car and walked me to the door like a gentleman. I'm sure he was mostly paranoid that someone would attack me while he wasn't there. If it meant that we would be spending more time together, I was cool with the idea.

We paused under the eaves. I looked up into his lonely, intelligent, soulful eyes which were like molten chocolates **(how's that for a word picture?)**. He reached out one hand to caress my cheek. "I might come by later tonight after I take the… pieces to the dump." He was careful with choosing his words in case we were being listened to.

"Sounds okay to me. But what time? Make sure my parents aren't awake…" I trailed off when he shook his head.

"Don't worry about it," he soothed. "It would just be to investigate this area so that it's safe. You won't even notice that I'm there."

I wanted to groan. What's more fun than sneaking a vampire into your home after hours?

"Be careful," I said grudgingly. He laughed, as if he could read why I wasn't happy about it. He lifted my chin and leaned his beautiful lips down unto mine. We stayed kissing on my doorstep for who knows how long. I was a little too preoccupied to notice. The porch light came on and the lock rattled on the door. We broke apart as it opened.

My dad was in the doorway in the infamous black bathrobe, his short hair pointing in different directions. He eyed my boyfriend with tired and suspicious eyes.

"Goodnight, Alexander," he said, ushering me through the door. Alexander and I waved before my dad closed the door and locked it, sealing my Gothic Mate from me.

Dad didn't say anything to me, so I retreated to my room. I was too wired to do much of anything except lie awake in bed. And I was too antsy to stay still for long. I could only think about how Alexander might be dueling with _another_ teen vampire alone in the night. What if either of them got hurt… or worse? Who would find them? All these questions were bouncing back and forth in my brain like air molecules.

I needed an escape, but I was afraid watching a movie would only make me think of them more since I only owned vampire films. Getting lost in a book was an option, but since my favorite series is _The Vampire Chronicles_ by Anne Rice I didn't have much of an escape through that either. Everything in my room reminded me of them: the Hello Batty decorations, a poster of Bela Lugosi, my collection of bat jewelry. You'd think that having a vampire boyfriend would be enough to satisfy my vampire fetish, but you'd be wrong. Right now that fact kind of sucked.

I wasn't sure how long I was lying in bed for, doing nothing except stroking Nightmare, but I couldn't force myself to fall asleep. I was worried about Alexander, and also Matt and Becky. They were hanging out with a vampire that we were still unsure as to why he is here. What can be worse than that?

I heard a tap on my bedroom window and my head snapped in its direction. I moved toward it. It was well past midnight, so the sky was as dark as my wardrobe. I wondered if Alexander had come like he promised. I opened the window in hopes of getting a better view but it was too dark for me to see.

Nightmare hissed behind me, and I was immediately on red alert. It wasn't a normal cat-is-annoyed sound, but menacing and deadly. She never acts like that unless something is terribly wrong.

I turned slowly and nearly fell over.

Luc was leaning against my door, staring at me like a predator sizing up its prey. I could hear my pulse ringing in my ears. I hadn't heard him come in at all.

"I see you left your boyfriend for once," he stated calmly. "I thought for sure you'd be screwing around since it's so easy to sneak in."

No one takes cracks at me or Alexander like that. And I really had to do something to vampire-proof the home since both Jagger _and_ Luc had managed to get in. "I see you left your boyfriend, too," I countered. "I could have sworn you and Trevor were joined at the hip."

He glowered at me.

"It's okay, it's the twenty-first century. I understand times are different."

"Shut _up_!"

I couldn't help but pause even though I was smug on the inside.

"The blond snob is only a pawn in my ultimate game," he began nonchalantly, like we'd been friends forever. "You see, in the two days that I've been here I know that he has the most wealth and popularity in town. I need him to help further my connections. These people here are so dumb they'll believe anyone with a charming smile."

_And khaki pants_, I thought. I had no clue where he was getting at.

"What's your point? Why did you come here when there are countless other towns just as stupid as Dullsville?"

He smiled evilly again. "The question isn't why I've chosen Dullsville, but who _else_ has chosen it. You know that vampires are immortal, so when something happens that we don't like we have to live with that bitterness for eternity. I'm choosing to change that."

"Revenge," I scoffed. "Isn't that childish?"

"You obviously know nothing of the vampire lifestyle," he commented. "Revenge is what we do. When you can live forever, should you have to deal with pain? Bloodlust is a part of who we are, whether born into it or turned. There's no denying what we could do if someone provoked us enough."

I snorted, even though I was scared as heck. I made my way over to the bed and plopped down on it like I wasn't concerned. Nightmare curled into my side, eying Luc wearily. "I still don't know what you want with all your cryptic answers. What does revenge have to do with why you're here?"

"You didn't receive my message?" he asked, confused. "I thought you would have been able to figure it out by now."

Alexander and I had our idea that he was someone from the Coffin Club who wasn't too happy about Phoenix Slater winning the election and, therefore, making it so that vampires couldn't reveal themselves to the public. But that wasn't all that I was talking about.

"I _meant_, why are you in _my room_?"

He laughed, and evil sound that made the hairs on the back of my neck raise. "It's another part of the revenge I mentioned before. Back at the other preppy loser's home your boyfriend interrupted me." He approached with his fangs flashed.

I reacted quickly. I reached down along the side of my bed to find my purse. When I turned back he lunged.

My fingers were slippery with sweat, but as soon as he was inches away I found the container and unscrewed it. I threw its contents at him. He screamed, but it was cut off immediately by a choking sound from deep in his throat. I grinned triumphantly.

Good 'ol garlic powder. But now my room would smell like garlic for a while.

He staggered backwards barely able to breathe. He coughed and his skin slowly turned from deathly pale to deathly blue. I got worried; I wasn't sure if it was good to be responsible for a person's, uh, vampire's death. I wasn't trying to kill him. It was out of self defense.

What I saw next stunned me.

One second he was standing there, choking and holding his throat like he was strangling himself, and the next he was gone. I heard little flutters. "What the –" I looked closely and saw a black bat flying towards the open window. Damn it! Why didn't I close that? I ran toward it, but he'd already escaped. My mind panicked.

Earlier I wondered what would be more fun than sneaking a vampire into your home. I laughed at the irony.

What could have been the end of our problems in Dullsville now probably just pissed the enemy off even more. Would he be back here any time soon? Probably not. Would Alexander kill me when he finds out what happens? Absolutely.


	16. Chapter 16

**This is short and sweet (well, not really sweet but you get the picture) because I will be spending most of my free time for the rest of the week reading Royal Blood (yah!!) and studying for an exam that I'm allowed to take a few weeks early.**

After that nearly fatal encounter, my nerves were twisted like pretzels. There was no way I was sleeping after that. I paced around my room nervously, checking the corners of the walls for cracks or signs of weakness. I couldn't figure out how all these vampires kept slinking their way into my home, but it was really ticking me off.

As I looked at the floor, I realized I had a big job ahead of me. Luckily I hadn't thrown all of the garlic powder at Luc, so there was still some left in the container. A nice pile of it collected by my bed while there was a yellow dusting on my sheets. This wasn't something I could explain to my parents easily. _Mom, Dad, a vampire snuck into our house _again_ and tried to bite me, so I threw garlic powder on him and he flew out the window._ That would be the nail in the coffin that would send me to the nut house.

I heard a tap at my window, which I'd closed since my intruder left, and my heart started beating like crazy. Did Luc return to get _more_ revenge? Or worse, was there a mob of Dullsvillians with pitchforks and torches out there for me because I almost murdered their new Golden Boy?

The tap came again, and this time I noticed a pebble against the pane that caused the noise. I was scared silly, but I was also deathly curious. If it was Luc, why wouldn't he just magically appear like he did last time? And no one else would politely try to get my attention in such a manor.

I cautiously approached the window. When I looked down, I almost expected to see a pale face with blonde hair grinning at me with fangs exposed. But who I saw wasn't who I was expecting.

It was Alexander.

My heart swelled. My Knight of the Night had come to protect me, even if he was unaware that he was a little late.

I opened the window and stuck my head out to grin at him. He waved is hand toward himself, telling me to come outside. I shook my head stubbornly and motioned for him to come in here. He sighed. "Move out of the way," he called just loud enough for me to hear, but quietly as to not disturb my parents or Billy Boy.

Even though I had seen it once today, I was still surprised when one second the Alexander that was tiny outside of my window was now life-sized and standing right next to me. I nearly fell over for the second time tonight.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack," I told him.

He held my waist in case I did fall over. "You asked me to come up here," he said with a dark humor coating his voice. "Besides, your heart sounds fine to me."

There was an awkward silence as I stood the locked in Alexander's grasp. I wasn't sure if either of us knew what to say. I was wound tighter than a rubber band, and he could sense it.

"Are you okay?" he asked with concern. His chocolate eyes searched mine. He seemed alarmed by what he saw. I must have looked demented.

I couldn't beat around the bush, so I spat it out. "Luc was in my room." His features hardened as he hissed. "What are we gonna do? This is the second time a vampire has been inside my home without alerting my parents. My family isn't safe and Luc's mad."

"It's the third time you've snuck in a vampire if you include me," he said with a forced chuckle. He was trying to calm me down, and I loved him for the attempt. "How did you –" He paused to cough. Uh oh. We both looked down and saw the culprit.

The garlic powder. Damn it, it just keeps all the vampires away, doesn't it?

"I guess that answers your question," I said with a tight laugh. This wasn't a laughing situation, though. I'd seen the firsthand situation of how potent his allergy to garlic was.

He coughed once more and looked me square in the eye. "I have to go before this kills me," he said, his throat tightening. "But I promise we will get rid of Luc soon now that his coffin is gone. He'll come looking for me and it should all end soon."

I could only hope so, as long as it wasn't the end of Alexander.

**Review please!!**


	17. Chapter 17

**I finished Royal Blood, and I think it was worth the wait. But because of it I have this great new idea for a fanfiction. I'll post the idea with the next chapter, so everyone will need to review it when I do. Although I promise not to start any new story until I finish this one (I think I'm getting toward the climax, but we'll see how it plays out).**

**I wanna send a big shout-out to Cuppycake-the-evil-cupcake for being a faithful reviewer! This chapter is dedicated to you. : )**

"I need you to stick close to Trevor for the next couple of days," Alexander said reluctantly over the cell. It had been about fifteen minutes since I had almost killed him with garlic powder…again. I still couldn't sleep, so he promised to call once he returned to the Mansion. "He might know more than anyone else about Luc. Find out if they're planning something."

Alexander sounded like a parent sending his child off to war – knowing that it was necessary, but still hesitant to let go because they might not return. I think he was afraid of Trevor pulling something while he wasn't there to protect me.

"You're actually suggesting I spend time with Trevor?" I made a disgusted sound into the phone. "What if his suburbia rubs off on me and I start wearing knee-length skirts and argyle sweaters?"

I could almost feel Alexander's glare from over the phone. "This is serious. Luc may be planning to do something catastrophic to Dullsville and we don't know what. That's why you need to hang out with Trevor. Think of it as a job for the R.B.I."

Well, the R.B.I. – Raven Bureau of Investigation – hadn't been in use since that time I snuck into Trevor's home. I was always ready for some investigating.

"When you put it that way…"

"So you'll do it?"

"What choice do I have? I want Luc out of Dullsville – and my room. If that means sucking up to Trevor, then I'll do it."

"Good."

I remembered something just then.

"Um, Alexander? I think I might have an idea of why Luc is here."

"Really? That's great!"

"When we were at Matt's house today, he said something to me about needing recruits. What do you think he meant by that?"

There was a pause. "Raven, I have to go," he said suddenly

I was surprised. "What? What happened?"

"This may be more serious than I thought. I'm not sure if he just wants revenge on me for the Coffin Club. I think he wants to rub it in my face first."

"What are you talking about?"

"I need to explore. Don't worry; just leave the garlic powder on the floor. He won't be coming back tonight, that's for sure."

"But I can help you."

"You focus on resting so you can catch Trevor bright and early. Seriously, a few nights of nocturnal adventures in a row. You must be exhausted."

Now that he mentioned it, I was a little tired. But what's more important? Sleeping or kicking vampire butt? I definitely preferred the latter.

"Promise me you'll stay safe."

"I promise," he said with a smile in his voice. "Please sleep. Bye."

The line disconnected.

I wasn't just ready to go to bed. I made my way through the house toward the kitchen. My nerves were still pretty jumbled, and I didn't feel like sleeping. It felt like a school day and I was craving a huge cup of coffee. Instead I settled for water and a piece of chocolate cake in the fridge. I sat at the table and munched pensively.

Something about Luc wanting soldiers had seriously disturbed Alexander. What was he trying to recruit? Dullsvillians wouldn't dare get dirt under their manicured fingernails or chance ruining their perfectly pressed pants. Not unless they were all against a common enemy. Was he thinking of telling everyone that Alexander was a vampire? That could cause them to join together, or it could just blow up in his face. I wish we knew what we were up against.

I was too lazy to turn the lights on, so I felt my way along the surface of the table for a napkin. I passed over some paper, but it didn't have the soft ridges I was familiar with. I eventually found the little bugger and wiped my hands.

At this point in time all I knew was a) chocolate cake is the greatest food ever invented, b) all I know about Luc was that I knew absolutely nothing, and c) Alexander was now freaked out about Luc and was hiding the reason from me. Trying to sort out the info was making me tired.

*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When I awoke later that day, I was instantly aware of the monster headache pounding against the walls of my brain, yelling at the sun that poured into my room through the uncovered window. I wanted to yell at it to shut up, but I was afraid that we'd only get into a shouting match which would _not_ be helpful to the getting-rid-of-the-headache plan. I rubbed my temple, feeling the massive knot of ebony hair piled up. I groaned; that would not be easy getting out. My Edward Scissorhands clock told me that it was afternoon, which made me groan again. I was late for my R.B. I. investigation!

I wobbled downstairs in a tired stupor to find my mom sitting at the kitchen table eating a salad. She looked up once I got closer. She frowned. "Just because you have the late-night munchies doesn't mean you have to ruin the mail," she chastised as only a mother could.

My eyebrows furrowed. "What are you talking about?" My head was throbbing. It took effort to form questions. I immediately reached for the ibuprofen we kept in a cabinet.

She held up some papers resting on the table. "You got chocolate icing all over this invitation."

I paused with a pill half-raised to my mouth. "What invitation?" I asked as I snatched the top card from her hands. Despite the icing, it was still legible. It read:

_Come see motivational speaker Dawn Felix_

_Next Saturday at Town Hall_

_As she speaks about how you can be empowered to a higher standard of living!_

At the bottom of the card was a list of sponsors for the event, including the names of the Mitchell family. Huh? Maybe this can be the icebreaker when I find Trevor later today.

"Raven, by the way, have you seen the garlic powder? I've been looking for it everywhere because I need it for dinner tonight."

"Um, no, I haven't." I laughed awkwardly.

_Note to self: buy more garlic powder – for Mom _and_ me._

**Reviews are much appreciated! **


	18. Chapter 18

**I've had tons of time to do this cause I have no homework this weekend, but every time I sit down to write I get distracted. So I've been listening to some sick death metal music to inspire me (if anyone is a fan of Becoming the Archetype, let me know because I just started listening to them and they're amazing!). **

**As I promised, there is a summary of my new story idea at the end of this chapter. **

I sped along the streets of Dullsville on my bike, dashing like a bat out of hell. Pedestrians stared at the crazy Goth girl riding like a maniac, but I wasn't in the mood to care. I was on a mission.

It wasn't hard to guess where Dullsville High athletes would be on a Tuesday afternoon **(A/N I totally lost track of what day it was in the story, so I backtracked and Tuesday seemed logical to me)**. They were at soccer practice. To the normal students of our school, it would warm their hearts to see their pride and joy dedicating their summers to prepare for the upcoming season. To me, it made me want to puke. How could they run in the heat and sunlight and not die of a heatstroke?

As I approached the school, the soccer field was filled with players in our school colors – white and red – and fans were eagerly watching their every maneuver and shot as if they were professionals. I didn't understand it. Even my own best friend Becky, who I could see in the stands as I neared, was ogling the athletes. Well, at least she adored Matt.

If I seem a little irritable, it's mostly because I'm worried. When I finished talking with Alexander, I had no idea what dangerous mission he had gone off to face. Was he okay? Did he run into Luc? But most importantly, did he accomplish what he wanted to do? It was scaring me that I didn't know what he did, and it terrified me that I wouldn't know for sure if he was okay until sunset. Until then, I was taking out my frustration on everything else.

The players were filed up behind the eighteen yard line, the first in line placing a ball down on the marker for a penalty kick on the goalie. I took a better look and saw that it was Trevor. He squared off, pushed his blond bangs out of his eyes, and drove into the ball. The goalie dove, but the ball zipped past him to the far right corner in a blur. The jocks cheered as Trevor smiled triumphantly.

I rolled my eyes.

No one had seen me, so I tiptoed underneath the old metal bleachers that lined the field. It was the perfect cover from the sun and unwanted attention. Plus, I could see perfectly in between the stands.

For what seemed like the next century, I watched the team sprint, sweat, dribble, sweat, shoot, sweat, sprint some more, and did I mention sweat? It was a scorcher. Some of the guys had taken their shirts off, and I had to admit that our school had some nicely built students.

The coach blew his whistle and the team huddled together at the one goal. After a quick shout of "team", the players disassembled, heading in our direction. Finally!

I sighed and shifted from bellow the stands. It may have been nice and shady, but it was uncomfortable sitting their in the lumpy grass. I brushed off my skirt. My boots crunched against the dry dirt and grass. When I looked up I nearly fell over… again. I was seriously getting tired of this.

Becky's head was looking in between two of the stands, her head upside down so her hair was flowing over the metal seat. Her face was shocked and slightly disapproving. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Shh!" I didn't want her tipping off anyone else that I made an appearance at soccer practice. "I need to speak to Trevor."

"What?"

"You know what I said; don't make me repeat it." By now she left the bleachers and came to join me beneath them. "I know this doesn't sound right, but I can't explain it right now. I just need to see Trevor."

Her eyes bugged as she felt my forehead. "You feel fine," she deduced. "Are you sure you aren't sick. In what alternate universe would you want to see Trevor?"

_The same alternate universe where vampires exist,_ I wanted to say, but all I did was shake my head. "It's really complicated. I can't tell you."

She looked hurt, and I didn't blame her. We had been best friends since we were eight years old, when I tried to console her when her mom was late picking her up. From that time on, until just recently, we'd only had each other and shared all our secrets that we couldn't tell our parents. When we got boyfriends, it distanced us somewhat, but we were still each others confidant when it came to talking about our beaus. It wasn't like either one of us to withhold info, especially something this outrageous.

"Just, go find Matt now and I'll try to explain this as best as I can later." I tried to smile, but I wasn't too pleased about this situation either and I was still too worried about Alexander.

Her confidence returned a bit. "Okay, talk to you later." She began to walk away, and then paused. She turned back to me. "Oh, was everything okay last night? You and Alexander left without really giving us an explanation."

"There was a problem with Alexander's family, but hopefully it will all be resolved soon." It didn't take a genius to know that Alexander's family was him and me, and that the problem was Luc. This was something that Becky could never know.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I caught Trevor leaving Dullsville High through the main entrance. He was freshly showered and had changed into a clean set of clothes. Matt was parked just across the street, waiting for him. Luckily Becky left once he had gone in to wash off.

This was my chance. I had to get Trevor now or else I knew I wouldn't for the rest of the day. The sane side of me wanted to run away while I had the chance, but I knew Alexander and I were depending on me getting info from my arch-nemesis. I sighed. When push comes to shove, I realized I would do pretty much anything for the love of my life.

"Psst," I whispered from behind the bush I was hiding in. Trevor paused and tried to identify where the noise had come from. "Trevor," I said with more emphasis. This time he looked in my direction and his eyes bugged. I don't think he could believe it – his worst enemy and possible love-interest was asking for _him_.

Matt honked the horn of his Camaro. "C'mon, Trev, we don't have all day."

He reluctantly looked away from me. "Just hold on a second," he called back. "I think I dropped something…" He set his soccer bag down and ducked behind the bush with me.

"I'm sure this is your dream come true," I said with a sarcastic seductive tone. He glared at me.

"What do you want," he whispered. "I have more important matters to attend to. That is, unless you want to make my dream come true." He puckered up and tried to plant his lips on mine. I dodged it skillfully and smacked his arm.

"Knock it off, I don't have time for this either. But we need to make this quick or else Matt will get suspicious."

"Let's give him something to be suspicious about."

I rolled my eyes. "I seriously think you're getting your dreams confused with your nightmares. But this is serious; meet me at Hatsy's at 4. It shouldn't be crowded but at the same time it's public enough that I'm not afraid of you making a move on me and you don't have to worry about me killing you."

He mulled over the option, clearly shocked that I wanted to spend time with him. He was probably thinking that I was getting bored with Alexander so I was hanging out with him. Or at least that's what he wants to believe.

"Okay, I'll meet you there, but if this is some kind of prank you'll pay for this."

"Oh please, would I trick you?"

**Haha, another evil ending. So, my new story! Like I said before, I promise not to write any of it until this story is finished. Here's the basic idea:**

_**After graduating high school, Raven is in for the shock of her life – a proposal. News spreads quickly about her engagement to Alexander and that they plan to wed in only a couple months. The big day comes, and with it some big news: A royal family of vampires is planning to overthrow all the others in Romania, and it's not the Maxwells. Now they must go to Alexander's home country to calm down this family before fighting escalates. What happens when an unexpected catalyst comes into play and now everyone fears for the future of vampires?**_

**You like it? ****Tell me what you think while you're reviewing this chapter!**** And sorry, it's not a sequel to this story. It's its own separate story. And I think I might rate it M, but I'm not sure yet.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey everyone! The only reason this chapter was possible was because of my obsession with different kinds of metal music (whoo! Go Nightwish, Epica, August Burns Red, and Becoming the Archetype). I'm starting to think that I should listen to music all the time when I write. :P **

**In case anyone was wondering, my class trip was fun. It wasn't too sunny, although I got wind burn on my chest (Ugh, it hurts like hell. I just **_**had**_** to wear a cardigan and cami), and it was constantly cool. I also got to shop and play mini golf. It was kind of fun just to hang out, yah know? **

I wasn't sure how this was going to work out, or why fate would frown upon me – even though that seems like something I'd want it to do – but all I was wondering was if Trevor was actually going to show up.

Hatsy's Diner was pretty empty at this time because the late-lunch people are already done eating, and the early-dinner senior citizens don't arrive until an hour from now. The place now consisted of the manager and one worker, as well as me. I don't know what was running through their mind, seeing an impatient Goth waiting for a very late soccer snob.

I sat at a booth tapping my fingers against the faux-wood table. Maybe I was deceiving myself by thinking Trevor would do anything I'd ask him. He was usually eager to be with me. Sometimes I never understand that boy; did he like me as more than a nemesis, or did his feelings derive from his want to embarrass me any chance he got?

This meeting was important for the future of Alexander and me, and possibly Dullsville. I had to convince Trevor that I wanted to be near him – he may be a hormonal teenage jock, but he wasn't stupid. If he was planning anything with Luc, I need to know so I can be a step ahead of them. Alexander and I needed every advantage we could get, and right now that advantage was Trevor.

A bell on top of the door rang, sounding that someone had entered the restaurant. My head instinctively turned to see who had come in, and my eyes widened in recognition and shock. Trevor had come, but he clearly didn't want anyone to know it was him. He was wearing an Abercrombie jacket with the hood up, even though it was sunny, and sunglasses. It didn't think his disguise was worth the effort since everyone in town could probably recognize him if he wore a bag over his head. He acknowledged me and sauntered over to the booth.

"Took you long enough," I grumbled, glaring daggers at him.

Even if people couldn't recognize him with the hood and glasses, it would be impossible to mistake him with that sarcastic smirk that pulled at his lips. "Whatever," he said quietly, not wanting anyone to overhear. He slipped into the seat across from me and leaned back casually. "Well, what did you want me here for? Or are you trying to cheat on Alexander?"

I wasn't amused with his jokes. "Please, like I would ever cheat on Alexander." I wasn't sure how I was going to ask him about Luc, but luckily I wouldn't have to for at least another minute. Our waitress walked up to us.

"Welcome to Hatsy's," she said in a nasally voice. "I'm Britt, is there anything I can get you." She addressed Trevor mostly, seeming afraid to look at me. That was sadly still the case with some Dullsvillians.

"I'll have the Atomic fries and a root beer," Trevor said, uninterested. He was trying to sound as un-Trevor-like as possible.

Britt turned toward me grudgingly. The look on her face clearly showed that she was disgusted. "Just a chocolate shake." My tone was sharper than I'd intended it to be and as a result she scowled at me. She walked away with her shoulders set tightly in irritation.

Trevor shook his head. "You really should be nicer, than maybe people might actually stand to look at you."

"And if you were nicer, you might actually be a half-decent person." Despite the shades, I could feel his gleaming glare.

"What do you want? You're the one that asked me here; there are plenty of other things I could be doing instead of hanging out with a freak."

I laughed darkly. "And yet you still chose to meet with me."

He wasn't so amused. Britt returned with our drinks before he could spit something nasty at me. He took a swig of his before placing his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his hands. "Well?"

"This may sound strange…"

"Is anything about you not strange?"

"Don't interrupt me if you want to get out of here quickly," I snapped. I inhaled to recollect my nerves. _It's okay, Madison, just get it over with._ "Were you planning on seeing that speaker at Town Hall on Saturday?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You couldn't have asked me that earlier?"

"It's more complicated than that, but will you answer the question?"

"It would be polite since my parents aren't in town and they are the main sponsor of the event. It might be boring, but I don't want to be disrespectful."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah right, you're just going so that you look good. Everyone will see what a good host you are and praise you as you're used to. Just another opportunity to praise the Golden Boy."

His hand clenched around his drink. "What's your point? Why do you care if I go?"

"I don't care if _you_ go, but I do care if your friend comes with you."

His cynical smile returned. "So, it's not me you're after, but Luc. That will be interesting to tell him tonight."

"You're meeting him tonight?" My heart dropped. He would be pissed that we removed his coffin, and he might take it out on Trevor. I really didn't feel like protecting my worst enemy as well as the whole town.

"Yeah, he's pretty cool." He reclined back against the cushioned booth again.

My conversation with Becky came up in my mind again about Luc. He has been in town for a few days now, and he was still an enigma to Alexander and me. I knew that everyone liked him, but no one had an explanation for it. When Becky said he was cool, she never said why. Was it just her or was he putting everyone under his spell? "Why do you like him?" I asked, trying not to seem too interested.

He shrugged. "I don't know," he said with honest confusion. His face wrinkled as he thought about it. "He just has all these stories that captivate me."

I arched my eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like a good reason to befriend him. You should have a reason for hanging out with someone."

"Well, I'm hanging out with you right now and I have no idea why. When will you stop with the 20 questions?"

"When you stop answering them," I shot back. We stayed silent for a minute.

Britt came up to out table again with a basket full of Atomic fries. She placed it in front of Trevor and smiled. "Is there anything else I can get you?" He smiled back and leaned toward her.

"I think we're good," I said before he could start flirting with the waitress. They both glared at me, but Britt walked away with dignity. Trevor watched as she left.

"Pervert," I breathed. He turned back to me, but I was surprised when he didn't glare. His mouth quirked into that all-too-familiar half-smile, like he was enjoying it. I made a disgusted sound. "When will you answer my question?"

"Which one? You asked at least a hundred."

"Is Luc going on Saturday?"

"He can go if he wants, but we haven't talked about it. You must like him since you can't stop asking about him." I rolled my eyes.

Our waitress returned one last time to give us the bill and a flirty smile for Trevor. I wanted to gag. "I should be going soon," he said, reaching in his pocket for a wad of cash. "You're paying for your own."

"You're the richest kid in town. With thousands at your fingertips, you can spare four bucks." I could feel his eyes rolling. "When's Matt coming for you?"

He paused for a second, just long enough for me to see his discomfort. "He comes whenever he wants," he said quickly after his hesitation.

"You didn't get a ride here from him, did you? He doesn't know you're here."

He sighed. "He's not my babysitter, despite what you think. I go where I want."

"And yet you want to be here, with me. I don't know why but you _walked_ across town to hang out with Monster Girl." Well, I did have an idea why he was here, but I didn't want to think about that just now. It was unsettling to know that Trevor would give up his khaki-clad best buds to hang out with me. I didn't know if I should be disturbed or flattered.

He laughed once without humor. "You're crazy. You think I like you? Once a freak always a freak."

"For being a snob, you say the kindest things." We laughed together. It was strange, getting along with him even though we were insulting each other. That was our common ground – hating one another. This was a good chance for me to split while we were on good terms.

"Well, I better get going." I slid out of the booth. "I would say it's been fun, but it hasn't. And you've successfully given me no useful information. Thanks for nothing," I said lightly.

I walked toward the exit and was halfway out the door when he realized something important.

"Hey, don't leave me with the bill!"

**I have no idea how I worked this out, but I did. Even though this chapter seems like a lot of nothing, it's actually kind of important. I think there will be at least one more meeting with Trevor, but I'm not sure how I'm working it in yet. No guarantees for the next chapter because I have a couple tests to study for.**

**Please review!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! I appreciate the feedback a lot, and because of this I'm gonna try to write more often, but I have a few tests this week and finals are next week so we'll play it by ear.**

**Disclaimer [since I haven't used one in a while]: Ellen Schreiber owns all the characters in this story except for Luc. He's **_**all**_** mine. Hehehe :] **

"That was all he said?"

Alexander looked at me skeptically as he dug his feet into the ground to stop his swing. I continued to rock back-and-forth in an almost hypnotic rate. The feeling that coursed through me was how I dreamed flying would be like. I closed my eyes, imagining myself gliding through the night skies as a bat, relying totally on my sense of sound as opposed to what my eyes could see. Allowing the wind to blow through my hair and using the air currents as if they were highways in the sky. I wanted to rocket myself into the atmosphere and fly to another planet. I didn't think vampires were capable of that, but I could give it a try when I become one.

"Raven, are you listening?" Alexander asked, now sounding irritated and frustrated all at once. He wasn't too happy by the lack of information I had obtained.

"Hmm?" He pulled me out of my day dream, or in my case night dream. Or was it day nightmare? Night nightmare? Oh well. "Oh, sorry. Well, I want to see you try to pull info out of him. He's just as clueless as us. He didn't even have a reason for liking Luc, just that he has really cool stories to… say…" I cut off at the expression Alexander was giving me. His eyes were so wide I'm surprised they didn't fall unto the ground.

"Was it something I said?"

"This just keeps getting worse," he said in a ghastly unemotional voice. I'd never seen Alexander this disturbed, and it was killing me. For one, I hated to see him distressed, and also I had no idea what was bothering him. Would it kill him to fill me in?

"What keeps getting worse? You have a lot of explaining to do because I'm completely lost. What are you hiding from me? Alexander!" I clutched his arm frantically as he stared off into the moon, lost in his thoughts. His eyes were dull, closed off. He looked at me then, snapping out of his reverie.

"I can't tell you. I want you to be safe and stay out of this."

"Stay out of what? Maybe if you told me what was going on we could figure out something together." He got off the swing and walked over to the grass, slumping down meticulously. I chased after him. "Don't close me off. Think of what we could do together – you in the nighttime and me throughout the day. We can accomplish more if you would just fill me in. Please, tell me." I pouted, which was unusual for me, but Alexander had to see how important it was if he wanted to protect Dullsville.

He examined my eyes closely, his own displaying his soul to me. His intelligence, loneliness, independence, darkness, love, and the internal conflict that was raging in his mind. He sighed in defeat, and I was about ready to cheer although that would be poor taste.

"First you have to know that you asked for this." I nodded, excited that I was finally learning the truth – or most of it, anyway. Alexander would never tell me everything. He exhaled to gain some composure. "Luc is not your average vampire," he began slowly, his dark eyes piercing into mine. "I believe he is among the most powerful of our kind, that he has the power to do more than any other vampire you have met. Blood reading is easy compared to what these special vampires can do, although I wouldn't be surprised if he could blood read as well.

"What you've described makes me believe that Luc is using a very strong gift on the teens of Dullsville. We call it Magnetism; he has an allure to him that makes people believe anything he wants. It's very powerful and has no limit to the amount of people it affects. There are a couple flaws to having this power, though. It only affects those who don't know the true intentions of the user, and the other is that the power is so set into the person's memory, that if the user was to die, those affected by the power will forget everything about that person. It's something we can't explain, but it's the way the power works."

"So is that why I felt attracted to Luc, but didn't actually succumb to him when we were at Matt's house." I remembered finding him extremely sexy, but at the same time I got evil vibes from him.

Alexander nodded. "The reason he couldn't pull you under his control was that you partially knew of his intentions, although I don't think he wanted to control someone who wasn't willing to follow him." He smiled at me.

"But what are his intentions? Did you ever figure this out?"

He drew in a deep breath. "Don't get too angry with me," he said cautiously.

"Why?" This didn't sound good.

"After I dropped you off I threw out the coffin remains a few blocks from Trevor's home, and then I snuck back in to get rid of another factor that is keeping Luc in town. The blood. I poured all of it in the sink. Right now, his motivation is to get revenge on me for destroying his domain and disposing of his life-support. But that wasn't why he originally came here.

"I did remember seeing him at the Coffin Club, but only vaguely. He wasn't a huge member and didn't get too involved with the other vampires. He had his own opinions, though, now that I look back. He thought that if humans wouldn't willingly accept living with vampires, then we should make them into vampires so they know how we feel. If he has the power of Magnetism, I wonder why he didn't use it against the other club members. Another thing I don't know is how he found out that I was Phoenix, but this is bad. I don't even think he's concerned about telling the Maxwells about the situation; I think he just wants to get his own revenge on me for keeping our kind unknown from the humans."

"Aren't you in danger? If he is so concerned about getting revenge on you, why hasn't he yet?"

He shrugged. "He might be waiting for an opportunity to exploit me, or worse, force me to see his plan unfold." His voice took on a disgusted tone. "By doing this, he would want me to see _what could have been_. To show that the only way to make peace is to exert ourselves on humans. What he doesn't understand is how this will affect the other towns nearby. What will happen when a family member doesn't come by to visit? Or if a business meeting goes unattended because the manager can't go out in the daylight? He hasn't thought through everything."

I rested my head on Alexander's chest and he wrapped his arms around my shoulders. We laid there for a moment in silence, reflecting on his words and how things would change if Luc's plans unfolded.

"So… why were you keeping all of this info from me before?" I was kind of hurt that Alexander had been hiding important discoveries from me.

He sighed, seeming tired with the whole situation. We repositioned ourselves into a sitting position. "I wanted to keep you out of this problem because it's very dangerous, especially because I didn't know what I was dealing with. If I underestimated him for a second and let you get involved, something bad could have happened. Do you know how much I would regret you being hurt, or worse, all because I wasn't prepared?

"You can't begin to fathom how much it tortures me to have to wait until the sun sets before I can make sure you are alright. If anything ever happened, how would I be able to help? I hate being limited to the night! If I were like you, I could solve this problem so much faster without having to worry whether it's night or not." Hearing about his pain made my heart constrict, making it harder to breathe. Sometimes I didn't realize how much he wanted to be a human.

I noticed he was fingering an item in his pocket, something he hadn't done in a while. What else was he keeping from me? I had to respect that he can keep secrets to himself, and that it wasn't my right to pry. He would tell me when he was ready. Besides, do I always tell him everything about me?

Alexander saw my observation and skillfully changed the subject. "Now we have a big mission ahead of us."

"What's the plan?" I asked, completely focused on the operation.

"Well, Luc's blood supply is cut off, so he needs to act quickly or else he risks having to find his own supply here. But that move can only raise suspicion among an already paranoid group of Dullsvillians since they know about his murders in the other towns. However, this also plays to our advantage because the lack of blood will make him weaker. Is it safe to assume that he will be targeting the seminar on Saturday?"

"Trevor wasn't sure if Luc was going or not. Trevor is for sure. But it should be a pretty big event if the Mitchells are sponsoring it. All the big shots of Dullsville should be going."

He nodded. "So we need to stick close to anyone who may know about his plans." He thought over what he'd just said and frowned. "As much as I don't like this, stick by Trevor. Make sure nothing bad happens to him. Keep a close eye on everyone and never doubt what Luc will do, whether they are innocent or not. Until Saturday, I'll use my time to find places to route Luc to so he can't make the actual seminar. I'll let you know of the location, but be prepared to meet me there on Saturday. Stay in hiding and only come out if I need you."

"That sounds like a plan, but what's going to happen after that?"

"To that, I don't have an answer to."

**I went through the rest of the story, and I figured that there are going to be exactly five more chapters after this one. Each one will probably be extremely long (but I can try to shorten them if you think that will be easier to read). I hope it ties everything in the story together. **

**Please review!**


	21. Chapter 21

**The final countdown! So begins the first of the ****last five chapters****! These last few are [hopefully] full of action and suspense. I hope they deliver, 'cause to me they seem a little boring. **

**Don't expect much of the story to be done over the weekend because that's when I'll be doing the most studying (finals are Monday through Wednesday). **

Being a spy isn't as fun as it sounds, especially if your targets are the annoying preppy teens of Dullsville. Their idea of fun couldn't be more unoriginal. Not only was watching the perfect, khaki-clad youths of the town extremely boring, but every time they laughed or purchased something that had at least three digits on the price tag, I wanted to puke or pull my hair out. These kids were so rich it was no wonder that Luc wanted them as his vampire minions. He would have a nice chunk of change to begin his reign with.

It's Friday, one day before the motivational speaker comes, the day we expect Luc to attack the richest people in town – _that's _ironic. For the past two days I have been following around Trevor, Matt and Becky, and other teens that are closely associated with the three. I'd followed them to soccer practice, town square, Hatsy's, and even the Country Club, trying to find out as much info as possible by eavesdropping. I was afraid Trevor was withholding his plans from me because it _was_ me, and he would be more likely to open up to his friends. I took notes in my Hello Batty journal, putting down anything that could be evidence for tomorrow's attack. Right now the pages were blank; he'd hardly said a word to anyone about Luc or tomorrow's event.

I was so glad that I only had a day more of this, because being a spy of preps was hard work. Listening in, staying hidden – it's very easy for me to stand out, making sure I'm listening to the _right_ people. That wasn't a particularly fun incident. If I got any more of Trevor I thought I would shoot myself.

About an hour ago I had lost Trevor when he went into one of the office buildings in the town square. I'd tried to follow him in, but a no-nonsense security guard said I couldn't get in without an appointment. So now that brings us to the present, where I was waiting across the street from the building. I knew Trevor would be downtown, so I had done something that he did to me – I was in a disguise. I borrowed a khaki trench coat my mom only wore on a rainy day and managed to scrounge out a ball cap that Billy Boy doesn't wear. I even had a pair of Alexander's Ray Bans. And I had to admit, I wasn't getting the usual gawks and glares by pedestrians, so it was working.

I wanted to pick up and leave, because watching Trevor for the past three days had felt like a waste of my time. Alexander would be disappointed, but there was nothing to learn from watching my nemesis. It was obvious that when Luc had befriended him, he made sure that none of his plans would be revealed to Trevor or to anyone who could give it to us. He was smarter than Alexander had expected, but it had become obvious that he was going to make his move soon. Alexander and I spent the nights following Luc, and when we were watching him last night, his eyes were bloodshot and he appeared extra pale, if that was possible.

I checked the watch on my cell phone, and I was shocked to see that it was nearly six thirty. The sun would be setting soon, and the amount of time that I had actually seen Trevor today was a combined twenty minutes. Whatever he was doing, it was either very secretive or very demanding.

Just then the main door of the building opened, and out came a woman with long brown hair in a business suit, and right behind her was Trevor. He was dressed nicely in an oxford white shirt and navy pants. The two shook hands and he walked away. He waited down at the end of the block and checked his watch. I ran across the street and hid behind a car to see what he was doing when I noticed him picking up his cell and dialing a number.

"Hey, man," he said into the receiver. "We got done a little early. Come by and pick me up." I assumed he was talking to Matt, seeing that his car was temporarily unavailable since the Mitchell parents were gone.

He paused, and then said, "Alright, hurry up. I don't have all day." I rolled my eyes. He may be the Golden Boy, but he was still obnoxious to everyone, even his best friend.

Eventually Matt pulled up in his red Camaro, just as the sky was turning a deeper blue with orange lines along the horizon. I was kind of disappointed; all the time I had spent spying on Trevor was pointless, and tomorrow was when we expected Luc to attack. I wanted to discover something huge for Alexander and I to use, but we hadn't learned a thing. The next time I have to stalk a person, I'm playing sick.

I picked up my bike and pedaled all the way to the Mansion. By now the sun was completely down and the street lights had been turned on. I almost didn't want to face Alexander because I was letting him down, but with all the time at night we had spent following Trevor, he knew just how frustratingly empty I was coming out in the day time.

When I rang the doorbell, Alexander answered. He didn't seem expectant, like he had the previous two days. He smiled apologetically at me. "I know it must have been boring," he said when we relaxed in the parlor. He removed my trench coat and cap and then ushered me to the antique velvet couch.

"You have no idea," I sighed. "I barely saw him the whole day. He was mostly meeting with the event planners, and none of them would let me in even though they were public buildings. This sucks. All this time wasted for nothing."

He shook his head. "I don't think this was as fruitless as you think. Luc obviously knew that we were going to spy on Trevor, since he was closely associated with him. This either says that Trevor is innocent throughout the whole planning process, or it shows us how potent Luc's Magnetism ability is. That may sound like a bad thing now, but that might work in our favor. If Luc banks on his ability to control our minds, he'll be disappointed."

"But if what you said is true, he should already know he can't control our minds. He tried on me and it didn't work, remember?"

"That's true, but then we will be on neutral ground with him. His one advantage won't work against us, so his crutch will be taken away from him."

"So there's a chance? It's not like we're on a suicide mission, are we?"

"No," he said with a laugh. "It will be very even. And like you saw at Matt's house, I can hold my own against him." His voice turned somber toward the end. I didn't know what facing Luc would entitle of him, but he didn't seem too excited about it.

My cell phone rang, the sound of a Marilyn Manson song ringing through the room. Alexander looked at me, and I'm sure my face was just as confused as his. I usually never got called at night time. I rummaged through my purse and grabbed my phone. The number was Matt's.

"Matt? What do you -?"

"Raven, have you seen Becky?" His voice was panicked, and I immediately felt my heart drop down into my stomach.

"No, I haven't seen her all day. She was hanging out with you." My voice must have been just as alarmed as his because Alexander noticed my distress. His chocolate eyes were questioning and compassionate, trying to console me.

"She _was_ with me, I left for about twenty minutes and she was gone." His voice reached a new peak of dread.

I wanted to be calm and relaxed, but I had a weird feeling that this wasn't just a mix up. If Becky had just gone off for a little walk, she would pick up her cell. I was sure he'd already tried that. My throat grew tight with worry. I couldn't speak, so I handed the phone to Alexander. He placed it on speaker and talked to Matt calmly. "Hey, Matt, it's Alexander. What's going on?"

"Becky's gone and no one has seen her for almost an hour." He was trying to calm down, but it was hard to play it cool when your girlfriend is missing.

Alexander's eyes bugged, but he remained calm. If this were someone else, we would have said that they were overreacting and that the missing person would show up eventually after you call around to a few houses. However, this was not normal circumstances because 1) this was my best friend, and 2) there was an evil vampire on the loose that was willing to hurt anyone who stands in his way. Not only that, but since she was dating Matt, and he and Trevor are best friends, she is a prime target for Luc's wickedness. I hugged my midsection tightly, feeling my stomach contracting in a nauseating way.

"When was the last time you saw her? Tell me everything you know."

"We were at her house all day, and then I got a call from Trevor saying that he needed a ride back from town square. I picked him up and dropped him off at my house, and then I went back to her house. She wasn't there, and her parents thought she came with me. When I called Trev, he said Becky wasn't there either. I tried calling her, but her phone was dead. We're just searching our favorite hang outs, but so far there hasn't been much luck."

Alexander and I shared a significant glance, instantly thinking the same thing. We had to find Becky.

"Okay, just keep looking for her," he advised, walking to the foyer. I followed mechanically, following my Knight of the Night like a zombie. My thoughts were so wracked with fear that I couldn't think straight. "Don't call the police yet. We'll check this side of town, and if you don't hear from us in an hour then you should call." They said their goodbyes and Alexander hung up. He handed me the phone back with a solemn expression.

"You know where Luc took her?" I asked, already knowing that what I was saying to be true.

We walked towards the door. "I have an idea."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dullsville cemetery. It seemed like the most obvious place for a vampire to take their prey – whether her life was in danger or her mortality, I didn't know – which was exactly why he would choose it. It was so obvious that I never would have thought of it. Luckily Alexander had.

We ran all the way, not wanting to announce our arrival to anyone – especially Luc. I was exhausted already, but I knew I would do anything to save Becky. Alexander was leading the way as we scaled the gate, briskly dodging the tombstones and monuments. A fog crept at an inexorably slow pace over the graves, along with the dead flowers, pictures, rosaries, and other nostalgic items the family had placed in remembrance of their lost loved ones. It seemed as though the fog wanted to veil those memories, leaving behind nothingness. I hoped this wasn't an omen.

Keeping up with a determined Alexander was difficult. He easily swerved through the graves and fog, expertly guiding the way. He had some advantages that I didn't, mostly for the fact that he could see in the dark like I could in the day, and also I wouldn't be surprised if he had the cemetery memorized. It was hard trying to follow his dark image when it was paired against the night background, and my combat boots were giving my feet blisters.

It felt like we had been running for hours, kind of like in those horror movies when you're racing through your life in a forest, trying to save your life and find an exit, but the farther you go the more hopelessly lost you become. That same adrenaline rush was pumping through me, although this time I wasn't particularly concerned about me as I was about my best friend.

"I think I see something," Alexander whispered, tugging on the sleeve of my shirt.

"Are you sure? How can you see a thing in this fog?"

He wasn't facing me, but I could feel his eyes rolling. "The fog isn't _that_ thick. C'mon, let's check it out." He grabbed my hand and pulled me away. I saw the shadow of a giant monument against the haze. I didn't think it was Alexander's grandmother, since I was sure we hadn't come that way through the cemetery. But I didn't recognize it. The mist recoiled, getting wispier by the second, and I was able to make out the shape of the statue. I gasped when I did.

It was of an angel, with hair cascading behind it as if the wind were blowing. Its face was gentle and kind, large wings spread out. Strong, concrete arms were opened wide, hands facing upward like it was created to carry the burdens of the world. A name on a plaque dubbed the memorial to Celeste Angelo, someone I didn't recognize, but I thanked God or whoever was out that that this statue had been made.

Its outstretched arms were carrying the limp form of Becky.

Alexander and I hurried over my best friend. I wanted to cry, although she didn't look dead, just asleep. There was a cut at the base of her throat, only deep enough to have gone through the top layer of skin. A sign was tied to her wrist, which dangled and blew in the wind. The words on it were written in red, blood red. I gulped. How could anyone do this to her? When I saw Luc there would be no mercy from me.

Alexander checked her pulse. "She's still breathing," he said, exhaling in relief.

"Thank God," I said as I pulled the sign toward me.

He peeked over my shoulder, each of us reading it silently to ourselves.

_This is your first and only warning._

_Take the girl and leave now. I spared her life, but if you do anything else to spoil my plans there will be no mercy. Anyone who crosses me will be sorry._

I shuddered from fear at the words. Alexander squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, he can't take us," he said confidently. I wasn't as sure. "Call Matt before they get the police involved." I nodded and called, informing him that we found her, much to his relief and of the Miller family's. They were coming by to take her since we didn't have the Mercedes.

After I'd hung up, we carefully picked her up from the statue and untied the sign. He handed her to me. "You go back to the entrance; I want to do some searching."

"What? You've got to be kidding? I can't go back alone because I have no idea where we are, and what if Luc is out there?"

His eyes flashed in recognition. "You're right. I'll walk you back –"

"That won't be necessary."

The voice had come so suddenly, so out of nowhere that I nearly dropped Becky as Alexander and I jumped at the sound. I would recognize that voice anywhere, similar to the sweet disaster of a train wreck. My heart dropped into my stomach.

Luc laughed, so cruelly beautiful. "You just couldn't have done what I'd asked."

**Evil, evil, evil ending! Hahaha I think the ending makes up for how much this chapter sucked… and its length. I was thinking of turning it into two chapters, but I thought that might break up the flow.**

**Review, review, review!!! **


	22. Important AN!

**Important A/N!!!**

**I'm dropping in to say that I believe the next chapter of the story will be up either Wednesday or Thursday because my exams start today. In between studying I'll probably have time to write the rest of the story. **

**But I must say that I'm shocked that I have ****no reviews**** on chapter 21. I mean, I know it kind of sucked and had a bad ending on top of it, but I expected someone to say something about it. Know, I don't like ultimatums, but I have no idea what you guys thought of the last chapter, so here's the catch. In one of the upcoming chapters (not the next one, though), I have a huge issue involving the climax that needs to be worked out, and I don't know what I should do. It's pretty big, and will basically give away a part of the story, so here's my deal: The next two people to review (whether to this A/N or chapter 21) will get the chance to help me out with this. If you don't want to know, just tell me. **

**-biteoutoflife **


	23. Chapter 22

**Wow, when I said that these last few were going to be long, I wasn't kidding. This story made it a little onto seven pages and was over 3000 words without the A/N. I hope it's not too long. And sorry I couldn't post this yesterday. I finished it at like almost 1 this morning and didn't have time to revise it.**

**So school's done, and finals were a synch (except for the math final, but we're not going there). So for I haven't had too much time to kick back, but I'm hoping I do. But I also need to find a job… :/ **

**This chapter is dedicated to cloudNrain, for all your advice and our loooooong conversation last night. Thanks for being awesome! (And short). hahaha**

Alexander was the first to react – I felt as though fear had frozen me, stopped my body all together. He jumped in front of me, arms stretched out to shield Becky and me in a protective stance. With fangs bared, he warned, "You think you're so tough because you can make mortals do anything you want? That you can hurt anyone who stands in your way? What is it about power that drives anyone to extreme measures?"

Luc sized Alexander up with a mild and slightly amused expression. He was dressed in his true colors, as opposed to the preppy ones he wore so Dullsvillians would accept him – black cargo shorts hung well past his knees, along with a black Slipknot shirt and high-top Converse. His chin length golden locks were spiked in a messy fashion around his head, and he even had an eyebrow ring. Those bronze colored eyes were chillingly empty, void of any emotion or thoughts.

"That _is_ a bit ironic," he mused, taking two steps forward, "that the leader of one of the biggest American clubs for vampires doesn't have a clue about what being one is. Isn't that right, Alexander? Or should I say Phoenix?"

How did he find out? No one had known about Alexander's secret identity.

I felt Alexander stiffen in front of me, but his voice didn't waver. "It doesn't matter what you're _supposed _to be. What's more important is being who you are. Just because I'm a vampire doesn't mean that I have to be egotistical and constantly thirsting for more power."

"But why deny what's in your nature?" Luc was now standing a few feet from Alexander. They were about the same eye level, and I could only imagine the dangerous glaring contest that was going on between the two. "You personally may not like power, or maybe it's your conscience that tells you it is wrong. When you try to relate with humans on a personal level, it changes your moral values, too. Always trying to see things their way, instead of making them see ours."

The tension in the air was so thick that if I stuck my hand out, I could touch it. If I wasn't holding Becky, of course.

"Raven, I think you should leave now," Alexander said calmly, without looking at me. He had all eyes for Luc, just in case he made a break away.

I took a couple steps back, but I couldn't force myself to leave. I knew Alexander would protect me, but what if something happened to him? I couldn't even properly say goodbye. _No_, I told myself. _Don't think like that. Alexander can handle Luc._

"Get to the entrance of the cemetery, now," Alexander continued. "Matt and the Millers are probably already waiting for you and her."

"Yes, leave us behind if you must," Luc practically purred. His gold-tinted eyes smoldered as he looked around my boyfriend. I was inexplicably drawn to him, like the forbidden fruit (**a/n I know that's so cliché now, but you get the picture)**. You know you shouldn't, and yet that's what draws you in. "But I'm sure you would much rather stay. Join me, you can lead beside me. You possess something that your boyfriend never will: the true spirit of a vampire. There is so much you could accomplish as one of us. Please, stay."

Leading beside him? As a vampire? He was willing to offer me the one thing I wanted most. I had always dreamed of being a vampire. Being one with the night, flying high under the stars as my spotlights. I would be repelled by the sun and flourish under the dark sky. It was the most romantic and perfect world I could think of. I took a step forward, lured by the possibilities.

"Raven, snap out of it!" Alexander growled.

Alexander. Before I knew him, I'd always imagined being a loner, an independent. I never needed anyone to satisfy me except for myself. But then he _had_ come into my life, by some miracle, and made my dark world a whole lot brighter. No one had ever connected with me that way, not even my family or Becky. It was like a cosmic force that brought us together and could never be separated. After I had found out that he was a vampire, I never could see myself with anyone else. We would rule the night as vampires. We would have nocturnal adventures. Everything was _we_, as in Alexander and me. No one else.

And just like that, I my mind crashed into my skull again with a strong force. It was almost like electrocution – one minute you're minding your own business and the next thing you know you have a weird sensation coursing through your body. Almost like someone slammed your body against a brick wall and it causes all your muscles to spasm **(I'd been electrocuted once and that was kind of how it felt)**. I'm surprised I didn't drop Becky.

"I'm going to find Matt," I told Alexander. I could feel the grin on his face, and I'm sure he would have offered it to me if he weren't watching Luc. Luc looked at me in disbelief and utter disdain. Then it hit me. He was using mind control, and I had just broken it.

I ran in the direction I'd thought we'd come, not sure if that would be the last time I would see my Gothic Mate. Right now, though, I had a more pressing issue, and that was getting my best friend back with her family before she sees or hears something she shouldn't. Sure, they may pass it off as her being disillusioned from being knocked out, but she wouldn't stop riding me until I explained. Luckily she was small, or else there was no way I would have been able to carry her and run at the same time.

Even for someone who spends as much time in the graveyard as I do, I still find it difficult to navigate through the night and the now-recoiling fog. We'd gone in farther than I had in any of my other times here, and my bad directional skills were making it tricky to navigate. This would be so much easier if I could just _fly_ out of here…

Becky stirred in my arms. I nearly tripped over a grave and dropped her from surprise. After I regained my composure, I paused. Becky scrunched her eyes like she was thinking about something intently, and then she opened them to look straight at me.

"Where am I?" she asked in a hoarse voice, rough and soft with sleep. Her eyes refocused and really looked at me. "Raven?"

I smiled weakly at her. "Hey, are you okay? Does anything hurt? Do you remember what happened to you?"

She groaned. "Ugh, slow down. My brain can't think straight yet."

I waited for a moment, but I wasn't sure we had that long to wait. There was no way of telling what was going on between Luc and Alexander. Luc had just endangered the life of my best friend and I had a lot of anger to burn off on him. He would regret the day he came to Dullsville. If only I'd bought more garlic powder.

"This may sound strange, but we need to get you out of here soon," I said to Becky. She was starting to look more like herself again. "I think Matt and your parents are waiting for you." That got her attention immediately.

"Wait, Matt's coming? What are you waiting for? We have to get to him!" She was slightly panicked, and I didn't blame her. Being unconscious for a couple hours and then knowing your boyfriend was close could do that to a girl. She needed comfort.

"Do you think you can run?" I placed her on her feel and held her arm to make sure she wouldn't fall over. She wobbled a bit at first but was steady now.

She nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm good."

We ran in the direction I believed was taking us to the main entrance of the cemetery. I hoped that the police wasn't there with them, although that would make it easier for us to find everyone. It would lead to unnecessary questioning that I can't ignore. The police would probably lock me in an insane asylum if I told them Becky was kidnapped by a vampire.

Dodging grave markers was a hard task for us, seeing that it was dark out and with Becky's still wacky balance. Alexander had made it look so easy, and we just looked like two uncoordinated teenagers. Despite the difficulty, I was beginning to recognize some of the statues and trees that we passed by. I recognized a small clearing under a giant tree as the place where Trevor had thrown his Graveyard Gala not too long ago. Where Luna tried to bond with Alexander for eternity and Jagger wanted to sink his teeth into me. It felt like a long time ago, and many adventures ago, too.

The main entrance in the gate was in sight now, and in front of it was Matt looking through two poles, while Becky's parents were pacing. Her boyfriend spotted us from afar and announced something to her parents, whose attention immediately turned to us. He scaled the gate. "Becky!" he called passionately, carrying a note of concern and relief with it.

"Matt!" Becky yelled back. Running faster than me, she sped toward her oncoming beau excitedly. They melted into each other, embracing as if they were they hadn't seen each other in years. As soon as the touched, Becky faltered into him, sobbing uncontrollably. He hugged her even tighter. I couldn't blame her for being emotional, waking up in the cemetery not knowing what happened to you, but I was anxious to get back to Alexander. If something bad happened to him, I might not see him ever again.

Old Jim, Dullsville Cemetery's grave keeper, had just arrived with his Great Dane Luke. He seemed a bit alarmed and confused, and spent some time talking with the Millers. Panic rushed through me as I saw him; he and I were not on the best of terms. If he knew that I was sneaking around the cemetery… again, he would tattle to my parents… again. Part of me wanted to run in the other direction, but seeing that he had just spotted me, and the instant flash of rage that colored his face, I knew fleeing would cause him to call the cops on me.

He opened the gate for Becky's parents and ran directly toward me. He did _not_ look happy. "You!" He pointed at me with a shaky old hand. "I knew you were behind this. Always sneaking in here to perform some kind of witchcraft ritual."

I rolled my eyes. "_Please_, that is such a stereotype." I titled my head toward Matt and Becky. "They're having a moment; please don't ruin it for them."

"But Becky was missing, and you knew exactly where she was. Who would have thought of bringing her here besides you and your strange boyfriend? You two were probably out there casting a circle and calling up ghosts or something with her blood." Becky parents had just joined her, and overhearing our words, they noticed the cut on her neck. I had no idea how to explain that.

"First of all, you have no idea what my boyfriend is like. He is the most sincere and loving person I know, and we would never do anything to Becky or anyone in this town. Secondly, we found Becky with that cut already. We have no clue how she got it." Actually, we had a good guess, but that wasn't the point. "Besides, we'd use the blood of our firstborn." Jim gave me a crazy eye. "It was a joke."

"What happened to your neck?" Becky's mom asked after releasing her from a giant hug. Matt wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"I don't remember," she said after a pause. He voice was thick with tears. "I don't know what happened at all." She sniffled and leaned into Matt's chest.

"Don't you remember anything?" her father pressed.

"Yeah, who was the last person you saw?" Old Jim added, glaring at me. I stifled the urge to flip him off.

She looked at our interchange in confusion. "I remember Matt getting a call from Trevor that he needed a ride, so I waited at my house for him to get back. Then… I went in to get a drink, and when I came out… I _thought_ I saw… uh, I can't remember. I just blacked out and I woke up in Raven's arms not too long ago."

_Ha_, I thought. _That should prove it_… "Like I said before, I knew you were involved," Jim said to me.

_Damn_.

"No, I didn't. I knew where she was, and I know who took her there, but I. Didn't. Do. It." I spoke the last few words through my teeth. It was very difficult to control my anger. He was going to blame me for something I didn't do.

"Then who did take her?" he challenged.

Now was my moment. I could rat out Luc, but would everyone believe me? He was among the likes of Trevor and was mind-controlling everyone to drool over his every word. Would they think I was crazy? _Yeah, he stole my best friend to get his point across that he's an evil vampire who wants to get revenge on Alexander for who knows what?_ That will go over just about as well as saying that I _was_ a witch.

"I think… actually, I _know_ that Luc did it." I waited for their response.

Everyone was shocked, that is, everyone except Becky. She furrowed her eyebrows as if she was trying to remember something really hard. "What, that's crazy," Mrs. Miller began.

"No, Mom, I think she's right," my best friend said, to the amazement of everyone. I wanted to give her a big hug. "I wasn't sure, but now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I saw Luc before I blacked out."

Her parents and Old Jim looked bemused, but Matt's features hardened. "If you say he did it, I believe you." He gave her a tight squeeze. "The next time I see him, I'll ask him about it."

I snorted. He wouldn't _ask_ him about it, he'd beat him to a pulp. Although I wasn't sure how he would fair against a powerful vampire. Thinking of him reminded me that I had to find Alexander.

"Why don't you get Becky home?" I offered. "I think she's really exhausted. Plus, you should let everyone know she's okay."

"Thank you, Raven," Mrs. Miller said, enveloping me in a motherly embrace. "We owe you."

"You don't owe me anything," I said. "I have some business to take care of." I took off back into the cemetery. I heard footsteps chase after me for a bit, but then they stopped.

"You're not out of trouble just yet!" Old Jim called. "I'm calling your parents!"

Oh, well, there goes my freedom.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

By some miracle I was able to navigate back to the mega angel statue. The sign that was tied to Becky was still on the ground, but there was no trace of Luc or Alexander. I started to panic. Did something happen to Alexander? Did Luc leave? What went on when I was gone?

I walked through the different markers, looking behind trees and in clearings. Where were they? Alexander wouldn't just leave me here, not unless something happened to him. I was getting worried, more so than I was already. There was no way of knowing if either of them was hurt if they left. Although if they left, I would have no way of knowing.

I wandered toward Mrs. Sterling's monument when I heard the sound of masculine grunts and rustling grass. It had to be them. I raced behind the memorial. I was lucky that sheer terror stopped me from screaming out loud or else my cover would have been blown. Alexander was pinned to the ground, his back facing upward, and on top of him was Luc. His eyes were closed and bent down in a bow, almost like he was praying. His deathly pale hand was on my boyfriend's neck, but he wasn't choking him. I knew exactly what he was doing.

He was reading Alexander's blood.

I had to get him off, now. All the rage that had been building up inside of me boiled out.

I reacted without thinking. I noticed some nice sized rocks on the ground and scooped one up, testing it's durability in my black finger-nailed hand. With my fabulous aim – haha – I tossed the stone at Luc. As it turns out, my aim wasn't as bad as I thought. It managed to hit him at the small of his back. He hissed and turned to glare at me with hate filled eyes.

"Come on," I urged him. He growled, exposing his pointed fangs, and leapt off my boyfriend. He strode toward me with confidence and an ethereal grace. Alexander peered up from where he laid on the ground. He seemed shocked that I would challenge Luc, but he recognized the plan that I had just set up. Luc got dangerously close, and I felt a cold sweat break on the back of my neck. It felt wrong to let any other vampire besides Alexander get that close to me, but I had to wait.

"You will pay for foiling my plans," he crooned. "I was shocked when you broke my mind control, which can only be done if you knew of my powers. Which, by the way, no one has ever been able to figure out that I can do that. That makes me wonder how you were informed about vampire abilities."

"It doesn't take a genius to figure it out." I pointed toward where Alexander was. He followed my gaze and appeared taken aback when my boyfriend wasn't there anymore. When Luc turned back, Alexander materialized in front of me and punched him in the face. If this were a movie, everyone would have _oohed_ and _ahed_ at the effect.

Alexander turned to look at me with a triumphant smile, and I gave him a tight squeeze.

Luc stumbled on the ground in front of us, scrambling to his feet and brushing off his dark attire. He gave us a death glare. "You mistake me too easily for the Maxwells. I don't just run away when I get ousted one time. I stick until I get the job finished."

"And remember that the next time you try to mess with us, you have no power over us. And without you're power, you're no different from any other vampire," Alexander said with assurance. "Your plans won't happen as long as we know what you're up to." I still wasn't entirely sure what that was, but I knew enough.

"Well, it won't be hard to take care of you once you complete your own plans." What? "I got a good look into your mind before your little girlfriend interrupted. I understand how you feel, but what will happen if you go through with what your heart desires most? Then I'll be above you and it will be easy to get you out of the way."

Alexander was hiding more stuff from me? What _did_ his heart desire most? I know he had trouble with controlling his blood lust, so maybe it was something about him giving in and turning me. But I didn't see how that would put us below Luc.

"Just leave now before I do something while we're still neutral." Alexander tugged me away toward the entrance of the cemetery. I was afraid to turn my back to Luc, but my Knight of the Night reassured me that he was too honorable to pull something while we were walking away after a fight.

Luc's last words, however, haunted me the rest of the night.

"When I have you out of my way, I'll be able to advance my plan of creating an army of vampires!"

**So there you have it. Was it worth the wait? That answers what Luc wants to do in Dullsville, and if you're wondering what Alexander's new secret is, let me tell you it isn't new. The whole story has been used to build it up. It will be revealed in chapter 24.**

**Review please!!**


	24. Chapter 23

**Ak, two more chapters after this!!! Sorry for the length again. This one typed was exactly seven pages long and nearly 4000 words. I'm really starting to think I should have separated these last few into smaller ones. But there's no going back now!**

**Sorry if Trevor and Alexander seem a little OOC. **

Knowing that Luc wanted to make the citizens of Dullsville become his personal soldiers in an army, a _vampire_ army, Alexander wanted me to stay close to my friends. That especially meant my nemesis Trevor. Basically, Luc was going to turn the town into Vampireville and reveal the existence of vampires to the world. If humans resented us, he would use the mind-controlled newly-vamped Dullsvillians to wage war with other towns and build even stronger armies. He was also hoping to gain followers in Romania and in other areas of the US. The main reason why he started here as opposed to some major city was to get back at Alexander for keeping the real Coffin Club secret. He wanted to rub it in his face, although he had a big problem to deal with that he wasn't aware of. If he succeeded, working with the people in this town could be a major hassle. Even with his powers he would be certain to face some stubborn folks.

Although I don't think his plan is well thought through. What happens when the army breaks out nuclear weapons? Not even vampires could survive that, let alone regular war devices.

I would have taken today off – the R.B.I. was getting restless – but since tonight was supposed to be the night that Luc attacks, I had to vampire-proof town square as much as I possibly could. Old Jim did call my parents and they grounded me. We argued for a while, but when I told them that I found Becky, they made my sentence last for the weekend. I almost felt bad that I had to sneak out. Then they would lock me in my room for the rest of the summer, but it was a risk I had to take.

I stuffed my dirty clothing underneath the bed sheets and pulled the comforter over the pillow. It looked almost human, and as long as my parents saw that they wouldn't bother to enter until the afternoon. I dressed in my R.B.I. best: a black tank top, black jeans, and my combat boots. All my necessities, which included a flashlight, mace, and my wallet, were placed in my black Dickeys book bag. My escape plan was set.

It was around six AM, and I had only gotten a couple hours of sleep. I was working off of pure adrenaline. Mom was off of work today, so she was sleeping in. Dad was currently in the shower, there was no way of him hearing me exit the front door. Billy Boy's room as at the other end of the hallway, so I knew he wouldn't bother me either.

I crept down the stairs as sneakily as a fox. When I reached the front door I unlocked the padlock skillfully and exited. All went flawlessly – no one suspected me to be up at this time so it was perfect for escape. I pulled my bike out from the garage and I was on my way.

The first stop I needed to make was to the nearest coffee shop. If I wanted to get through the day, I needed a double-shot chocolate espresso. Caffeine was like fuel; I ran off of it. After getting the usual uneasy gawks from the workers, I traveled to the 24-hour market. If Alexander and I were going to attack a vampire, I was definitely going to need this little baby. Garlic Powder. I bought a couple containers of it – I still had to get one for my mom – and several cloves that were strung together. Throughout the day I was going to have to stick these in likely places that Luc might go to at night.

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon as I pedaled as quickly as possible toward town square. I sort of remembered the layout from yesterday, but it would be easier to figure out a plan when I saw it up close.

Town square had been transformed into a giant outdoor auditorium. All the streets that led to it were blocked off, and a giant square of sidewalk that surrounded the giant fountain and a statue of one of the founders of Dullsville were taken up by rows upon rows of foldable chairs. Main Street had a make-shift stage set up on the asphalt. A huge white banner hung between two flagpoles declared "Dawn Felix: The Keys to Higher Living". I wanted to gag; I doubt this woman knew anything about higher living. She was probably one of those fresh-out-of-college life coaches that were getting into public speaking with a false belief that they could change our lives. All they are ever good for is wasting our time and taking our money.

First things first: check out the stage. I knew that the sound crew was probably going to test the speakers and microphones before the event, so I needed to hide garlic in places they wouldn't check. I stuck some cloves in between the ropes in the flagpole, tied a few to the bottom of the stage, and broke up a piece that was cleverly hidden in the podium. The one container of garlic powder that was for me I spread about around the stage and chairs. Even though it was likely to blow away, Alexander said that the smell would stay all day and would repel any vampire even though humans probably couldn't detect the odor. To be extra sure, I stuck some of the remaining cloves in a nearby garbage can and moved it closer to the stage.

It was still pretty early and I was already exhausted. The summer sun pounded down on me relentlessly, making me want to crawl under the stage and wait for the action to happen. I was horrified about the effects of the sun on my skin. If I burned at all, it would not look good. I was tempted to go home – or at least spend all day at the library or something – but I remembered that I had to watch Trevor. _Just one more day of this_, I told myself. _Then I won't have to see him for the rest of the summer. If I'm lucky, I can avoid him all day – _

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear. Talk about irony. I whirled around to scowl at my nemesis, although he wasn't alone. I recognized the woman from yesterday, the one he was talking with outside of the office building. She was tall, thin, and beautiful, not a student from school but a very distinguished looking adult. Kind green eyes looked at me instead of judging or accusing because I was Goth. Trevor's just looked smug.

"I'm starting to think that you're following me," he said with underlying boast. "First you stalk me at soccer practice, now here? I think you find me irresistible."

"Irresistibly annoying," I said to myself. But he wasn't lying; I _was _stalking him, but for reasons he wouldn't believe.

"Please, don't be so rude in front of my guest," he appeased. "She's the Mitchell's honorary speaker for tonight's event. This is Dawn Felix; maybe she can help inspire you out of your dark phase to see the light."

"Ugh, you sound like a priest. If you start preaching, I'm out of here."

"If you want to make an impression on someone, the first thing to do is be respectful," Dawn said kindly. She extended her hand. "Well, you know me already, and you seem to be a friend of Trevor's. What's your name?"

I shook her hand and raised an eyebrow skeptically. If respect put me on good terms with her, I could fake it. As long as it gets her off my back. "Raven. And Trevor isn't a friend of mine."

"It's good to meet you." She smiled at me. "So, will I expect to see you tonight?"

"No, I have some important matters to take care of with my boyfriend, but maybe you can give me some insider information that I can use." Hey, I was sucking it up big time. I wanted her gone as soon as possible.

"Okay, I'll give you the Spark Notes version of my seminar. The key to higher living is knowing who you are on the inside. You should get to know yourself, do some meditation. Find what things in life work for you. An important part to this is finding a career that fits your personality and interests. It's easy to base your life decisions off of what will make you the most money or what will impress your friends and family, but will that truly make a person happy? You should be what you want, no matter what others may think about it. Being true to yourself is the answer."

I couldn't believe the Mitchell family was sponsoring her to speak for the citizens of Dullsville. It would almost make them seem hypocritical. If the townspeople took her words to heart, there would be major conviction going on, and possibly a change in the way they treat a kid like me. Maybe Dawn's not as bad as I thought she would be.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dawn had to leave us to do some 'pre-seminar meditation' as she called it. I think she'd get along with my Aunt Libby. Maybe she was a hippy in her earlier days, too.

Trevor had done something that was so far and beyond the call of any soccer snob – except for Matt – that I had to pinch myself to make sure it was true. He bought me lunch. We were at a newly-constructed, ultra-swank restaurant that was in partnership with the one hotel we had in town. It was one of those places where, if my parents had been there, they would have needed a loan to buy their meal. So you know how shocked I was when Trevor paid for my fifteen dollar salad after he'd refused to pay for a four dollar shake at Hatsy's. I wondered if he was faking the respect card for Dawn's sake, even if she wasn't here at the moment.

The even weirder thing was that not once did he call me Monster Girl or Freak or anything else that was degrading. He used my first name, and we even managed to have some sarcastic but sincere conversations. It was nice, but I was getting more on edge with every passing minute. I had no idea what was up with Trevor.

As the afternoon passed by, I was getting worried about how my parents would react when they found out I'd snuck out when I was grounded. So you could imagine how my casual – and unusual – afternoon with Trevor quickly shifted to panic when my cell phone rang. I fumbled for it in my backpack.

"Hello?" I asked reluctantly.

"Raven!" Mom exclaimed, sounding relieved and pissed, as only a mother can do. "Oh, my god, Raven where are you? You're supposed to be grounded. I want you to get home, right now!"

"Mom, calm down." I rolled my eyes even though my heart was pounding like crazy. Trevor raised an eyebrow at me but I shook my head. "I'm sorry I snuck out, but this was kind of necessary. When I get home you can ground me for as long as you want, but don't expect to see me any time soon." He snickered and I smacked him on the shoulder.

"Hey!" he said, feigning pain. I stuck out my tongue at him.

"Raven, I don't care what you're doing, even if you're safe, you don't leave the house when you're grounded. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. See you later."

"But we're not done –"

Trevor grabbed the phone from me. "Mrs. Madison, it's Trevor. I'm sorry, I didn't know that Raven was grounded. But I asked her to help me with last minute plans for tonight's event. She told me she couldn't come, but I insisted. It's my entire fault." He paused for a minute while my mom responded. I was as shocked as I was thankful that he was covering for me. "Yeah, thanks. Sorry again for that. See you tonight." He hung up and handed me the phone.

"Thanks, you know you didn't have to do that."

He shrugged, seemingly nonchalant, but the smug smile on his face said otherwise. "I just want to keep my stalker close in case you try to make a getaway. You must have some crazy reason for being with me instead of hanging out with Monster Boy. Unless you secretly love me, too." Despite his new attitude, he still refused to call my boyfriend by his first name.

"Yeah right. I'm only here because I have to be."

"Why do you have to be here?"

"Because of _you_. If you hadn't just told my mom that, then I'm free to leave. I need to spend the rest of the day with you just in case someone tells my parents." And because I have to keep an eye on you until my boyfriend finds the vampire who's trying to enslave Dullsville, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

We were at Shirley's Bakery, which also included an ice cream parlor, eating ice cream on one of the 50's style booths. I checked the time on the giant neon clock and it was nearly 4 PM. I couldn't believe how fast the big even was approaching, and I didn't mean Dawn Felix's speech.

"You know, that was pretty cool of you for going after Becky like that," Trevor said after a while. "It was brave, even if you were performing a ritual."

I groaned. "How many times to I have to tell you people that it's a major stereotype."

He laughed. "I was kidding. But the thing I want to know is why you knew that Luc was behind her kidnapping."

Did I hear him right? "How I _knew_? I thought you'd be his main defender. What has you turning against him all of a sudden?"

"I was thinking about what you said, on why I was friends with him. When I couldn't think of a reason, I knew something was up. Then the past couple of days he's seemed really off and I started to get suspicious. It always seemed like you and Monster Boy didn't like or trust him. After I heard that you guys thought that he did that to Becky, I realized that he wasn't who I thought he was." Wow, not only did Trevor _think_ – which is stupid of me for thinking because he isn't mentally incompetent – but he actually on our side. I didn't know what to say.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was getting late, almost sunset, and I was confident by that time that Luc hadn't rigged anything to set off beforehand. People were starting to file in for the seminar, the rows of seats filling up. I ran around the stage once more and still smelled garlic in all the right places. I smiled inwardly.

Following Trevor wasn't as much of a pain as I would have thought it would be a few days ago. I was still a little wary of why he was acting different, but I decided to enjoy it for the day. This would be the last time I would have to spend any extended amount of time with him – at least for the summer. It might as well be enjoyable for both of us.

I was surprised when I saw the purple haze of night creeping over the horizon. Alexander would be coming soon and I had to meet him behind Dullsville's Court House, officially known to me as the place I hadn't done anything bad enough to get inside… yet. It was about a block away from the seminar and there was a large park by the building that was hidden from the view of the attendees. Trevor and I were standing just off to the side of the stage, near the town mayor and other important looking people.

I tugged at his shirt. "I should probably go home now," I told him.

He seemed disappointed. "You weren't going to stay? I could get you the best seat!"

"Yeah, like I really want to be enlightened. I understand that it's very important that you need to stay here, so don't mind me. I'm in enough trouble with my parents already, so I should go face it."

"I'll come with you," he offered.

"Are you kidding? Don't you need to be here for your parents?" He was getting downright annoying. The sun kept getting lower and lower in the sky by the second, so I knew Alexander would be arriving at any time. As would Luc. Trevor was just delaying me.

"No, they'd understand that I was doing the gentlemanly thing by assisting a girl to her house." I wasn't impressed by his perfect answer. I'm sure he'd used that on his parents plenty of times.

I rolled my eyes. "I really should go _alone_. I'll be fine." I started without him and was relieved when I didn't hear footsteps following me. As soon as I was out of sight I sprinted to the Court House. All was quiet because everyone was at the event. Not even Alexander was here yet. I looked at the sky again and the sun was almost completely down. Giant stadium lights that were propped twenty feet above the stage were turned on, clearly visible from this distance. I sighed and found a grassy shot to lie down in. I closed my eyes for a second.

Shuffling in the grass alerted me that I wasn't alone, but I didn't feel the familiar presence I was expecting. I straightened up, leaning on my hands to see a figure with fair hair coming my way. My mind started panicking as the hairs on the back of my neck raised. I was preparing for attack when I recognized the blue eyes that were looking down at me.

"This doesn't look like home," my arch-nemesis scoffed. "I knew you were lying when you started walking in the opposite direction from where you live."

I let out a relieved sigh. "This may sound strange, but I'm glad it's you that showed up."

A surprised grin spread across his lips. He sat down next to me. "Well, here I am baby." **(I know that's so cheesy but I figured it's something Trevor would say)**

Without warning, he swooped in and kissed me full on the lips. My mind freaked at the contact, and not in a good way. This wasn't like the time we'd kissed at Matt's house almost a year ago, where he was drunk and wasn't aware of his actions. He knew what he was getting into by kissing me, that I had a boyfriend I was fully devoted to. His warm lips weren't hungry and needy like before, either, but they were soft and confident. I'm sure I wasn't the only girl he'd tempted with a kiss like this. The difference between me and those girls was that I had my head and didn't get swept away on the emotional roller coaster they normally would have. The first time I'd kissed him, I knew he was a good kisser, but there wasn't any feeling behind it. Through this, I now believe Valentine's words when he'd said that Trevor loved me. The thing was that I had my own boyfriend that I loved, so his seductive kiss wasn't enough to sway me.

I pushed him away and backed off as much as someone who was sitting down could. "Get away! What's you're problem?" I felt suddenly self-conscious, as if I was being watched.

"C'mon, you spent all day with me. You know you want me." He approached me again, his lips puckered out.

"What part don't you understand about 'get away'?" I shoved him hard, forcing him away.

I felt the familiar presence I knew best as I saw Alexander storming toward us. My heart quickened its pace. How much had he seen? Was he angry at me for this? From the look on his face and the red glint in his eyes, I knew he wasn't going to be easygoing about the situation. "Get away from her." he said to Trevor in a soft but deadly tone. By that time I'd managed to scramble to my feet. I ran behind Alexander so that I couldn't look at his hard features.

Trevor rose, too. "Don't be angry because your girlfriend loves me, too." My jaw nearly hit the floor. I couldn't believe he was going to frame me for this!

"I know what I saw." Alexander was heated. I was glad I was behind him; I was so ashamed. "If you touch her again, I swear I will hurt you."

Trevor seemed nonplussed and even somewhat frightened. Hell, I was evened frightened by him. This wasn't normal behavior from my boyfriend. But that never deters Trevor's instinct to fight back. "I could take you. You're no match for me, Monster Boy."

Then Alexander did something I never thought was possible for him. He crouched down in an animal-like position and flashed his fangs at Trevor. Both my nemesis and I gasped at the same time. "Alexander!" I exclaimed. I tugged on his arm to pull him away, and he backed off without removing his eyes from Trevor.

Trevor's face was ashen, like he'd seen a ghost. I had no idea what was going through his head. "Whoa, I'm out of here," he said shakily. "I knew you guys were weird, but I had no idea your obsession was a mental issue."

Oh god, what was going to happen now? I couldn't believe Alexander would put himself in this situation!

Trevor started off toward the Court House as Alexander and I watched in tense silence. A shadowy figure passed along by where Trevor was, and suddenly he was being restrained, struggling against dark arms. Alexander and I shared a significant glance and ran toward the thorn in my side. A hand carrying a small vial was pressed against his lips as he was forced to drink the liquid inside. Just seconds later he dropped to the ground, completely unconscious. I gasped.

Luc stepped out of the shadows with a strategically placed bored expression, but the hard set of his hallowed out cheekbones and the almost crazed look of his bloodshot eyes alerted me that he was not in the best mood either. "Trevor always has a knack of doing things he shouldn't," he said apathetically. "That's one of the reasons why I don't want him in my army, even though he would be a perfect vampire."

"What did you do to him?" I gasped. I looked toward Alexander but he seemed just as puzzled.

Luc shrugged nonchalantly. "He just drank a special Romanian potion that can knock out anyone. Don't worry, it's only temporary."

Sudden recognition flashed through me. That's what he used on Becky. Alexander took a step in front of me. "Why did you use that?" I asked.

Luc laughed evilly. "You of all people should know how annoying that perfectly combed preppy brat is. I was just doing you a favor. I use it for convenience, to get people out of my way. But I think there's someone else that you should ask besides me."

What was he talking about? I felt Alexander stiffen in front of me.

He grinned, flashing his dagger-like fangs. "I'm not the only one with a special Romanian potion."

**Dun, dun, dun. More shall be revealed soon (hopefully!!) Please, **_**please**_**, ****please**** review!!**


	25. Chapter 24

**First thing's first, this chapter's shorter! Yah! And also this is the final battle. Gah! I can't believe it's almost done! I think it's an ending that everyone will like. I hope this isn't a let down and that everyone enjoys!**

"What are you talking about?" I demanded.

"I got an interesting look inside your boyfriend's mind last night," Luc said conversationally. His smirked at the insider information he had obtained. "It even surprised me how many dark secrets he hides in there. How much he keeps from you. I don't see how a relationship can function like that."

"Enough!" Alexander shouted. "This isn't for her to know!"

I stared at him in hurt. What else did he feel like he had to keep from me? I didn't know how much more I could take of this. "Don't you think I deserve to know?" I asked him, taking in his pained expression. I felt tears prick at my eyes and I blinked rapidly to prevent them from spilling over. "You're my boyfriend; I can't stand being left out. You can't keep everything from me."

"You know, she's right," Luc said cheerfully. I hated how he was enjoying this. "Secrets only lead to resentment. If you don't tell her than I will." He displayed another fanged grin at us.

"This never meant anything," Alexander insisted to me, although I had no idea what he was talking about. "It was something I considered, but I was never serious about it."

"Just tell me," I pleaded. I felt myself shaking with fear and betrayal. "If it's not important, than why didn't you say something?"

Alexander's eyes were dark pools of emotion, trying to convey his feelings to me. He reached out for me but I backed away. I was having none of it.

"It's obvious he doesn't want to tell you," Luc went on. He checked his fingernails, acting as if he were bored. "All the times he's reached in his pocket to grasp an item was the same thing that you found in his room. It was a vial within the Mansion that his Grandmother had hidden away for good reasons. It wasn't supposed to be discovered by other vampires, but little did she know that her own grandson was the one she needed to keep it from."

"Stop!" Alexander was fuming. His eyes turned a deep shade of red, the color of blood.

"In that vial contains a liquid that has been rumored to take away a vampire's immortality. You know, strip them of their vampire genes. It supposedly turns them human. No one has ever sampled it so it can't be proven, but the possibility was enough to entice him."

Alexander lunged at Luc, grabbing him around the waist and knocking him to the floor. My boyfriend punched him in the face, but Luc shoved Alexander off of him, which sent him rolling down the hill. Luc rose quickly to his feet. "You know how Alexander wants to be human, but before he has never had the opportunity. Every time he feels lonely he considers drinking from it to see if the legend is true. He would risk his royal bloodline for you. What a sad excuse for a vampire." He snorted.

I _did_ know that Alexander wanted to be human, just as much as I wanted to be a vampire. What I didn't know was how much he had considered the option. I never knew he wanted it to the point where he felt like he had to keep it from me. Pain rippled in my midsection and I felt confused and betrayed. I never kept my desires from him; why did he have to hide his from me?

I spotted Alexander at the base of the hill rising to his feet. In a flash, one second he was there and the next he was standing behind Luc with his arm wrapped around his enemy's neck. Luc hissed and struggled underneath Alexander's grasp. "You brought this upon yourself, Sterling. First, you destroyed my coffin. Then you stole my blood supply. Finally you covered the whole arena in town square with garlic powder. I couldn't even fly over that place!" Despite his rage, Alexander cracked an evil smile. "You think you're so right by believing that vampires need to stay separated from mortals when you're being hypocritical by hanging out with them yourself."

"At least I have some self-preservation. My way doesn't risk the bloodline of vampires by comingling with humans. You obviously have no idea what declaring war with them would do to us! They have weapons we can't stand up against. Battling them would be suicide. We need to live peacefully with them if we want to survive. And that means keeping our identities hidden." Luc elbowed Alexander in the gut. He gasped and released his grip, clutching at his stomach. Luc swiped my Gothic Mate's feet from underneath him and he hit the ground hard.

"So says the vampire that wants to be human," Luc ridiculed. "All their talk about peace has finally brainwashed you. We can't be hidden! We need to make ourselves known if we ever want to be truly peaceful!"

Alexander hopped to his feet and rammed Luc into the wall of the Court House. He fell near where the unconscious Trevor was lying. I was gripped with worry as I watched this pinball match of a fight. I still felt hurt by my boyfriend's secrets, but it was more important to take care of the real problem: Luc.

Luc kicked my nemesis's body out of the way and growled at Alexander. His eyes flashed a deadly shade of red as he charged my boyfriend. Alexander disappeared into of thin air again, and once Luc passed through the area where Alexander had once been, he too disappeared. I imagined they were having an airborne bat-fight. I scrambled over to Trevor and propped him against the wall so that he wasn't in an awkward position. This would be an interesting event to explain to everyone.

I squinted as I tried to see where the two vampires had flown off two, but even with the arena lights I couldn't make out their shapes. Some squeaking overhead alerted me that they were still in the immediate area. I ducked close to Trevor in case I had to use his body as a shield.

Grass flitted nearby as I saw Luc landing a few yards from me. Parallel to him, Alexander landed out of mid air. Both of them were marked up with scratched on their faces. Luc took a step closer. "We are evenly matched," he said with some surprised. "But you've kept us from revealing ourselves long enough. At the Coffin Club, and now here. It's time to keep you from hiding our existence. This is it!"

"Yes, this _is_ it," Alexander said calmly. I was glad he had composed himself again. He wasn't a good fighter when he was using rage as his motive. "It's time you leave town, forever. Crawl back to Romania to tell them how I am proof that we can live within humankind without revealing ourselves to them."

Luc yelled and darted toward Alexander, who sidestepped the charge. He brought his hands down on Luc's back which made him stumbled. He recovered quickly and jumped on Alexander, who was caught by surprise. He landed on the floor with a thud, Luc kneeling on his chest, just how I'd found them before at the cemetery. Alexander managed to free his one arm, but Luc grabbed it and snapped it backwards, making a sickening crack. My Gothic Mate hissed in pain as I felt the tears fall over. _No, not Alexander! Please!_ Luc licked his lips and flashed his fangs at my boyfriend. He grinned wickedly. "It's been good knowing you, Sterling. You've been a good opponent, but I think this shows that my way is better than yours." He leaned down toward Alexander's neck as he struggled under Luc's weight.

I didn't have time to think this through; I just reacted. Tears sprang down my cheeks as I reached into my backpack and grabbed the only thing that I knew could save Alexander. Rushing toward them as fast as I could, I was thankful that Luc was descending in slow motion to taunt my boyfriend. As I came up in front of them, Luc heard my arrival and looked up, clearly shocked.

"Get off of Alexander, now!" I yelled as I opened the container and threw the contents at him for the second time. Luc screamed as the grainy yellow residue flew at his face and down his open mouth. He chocked and retched, losing his balance.

Alexander coughed once, but most of the miracle substance stayed off of him. He shouldered Luc off of his chest and clutched his bad arm to his side awkwardly, breathing heavily with exhaustion. With a final push of exertion, he sprang at Luc, who was on his knees, and kicked him square across the face. It snapped backwards as he crumbled to the ground, a groan escaping his lips. That did _not _look good.

I ran into Alexander and hugged him carefully with his injured arm. My body was shaking by my own actions. Fear washed over me. My Knight of the night embraced me with his good arm and kissed my hair. "Is… is he…?" I couldn't get the words out as I looked at Luc who was lying on the ground. His face was turning an unnatural shade of blue.

Alexander shook his head. "He's alive, but barely. Ingesting garlic powder is even more deadly that breathing it in. This could kill him, but I'm glad you saved me." He laughed uneasily and winced as it shook his bad arm.

I couldn't look away from Luc. "Are you going to let him die?" I would hate to be responsible for someone's death. Undead or otherwise.

He sighed. "I suppose he doesn't deserve mercy, but reach into my pocket," he relented, nodding toward the pocket closest to me. I reached in and grabbed two items, and when I saw one of them I nearly dropped them both. One was a syringe carrying Alexander's antidote, and the other was the problematic vial. "Just give me a little shot of the antidote first and then use the rest of Luc."

I nodded mechanically. I jabbed the syringe into Alexander's thigh and released a small amount into him. I pulled it out and looked at the long needle unsteadily. "Isn't this unsanitary? You're not gonna transmit any diseases to him, are you?"

Alexander rolled his eyes. "We're vampires. We don't have diseases."

I stuck the needle into Luc's thigh and used the rest of the antidote on him. I wasn't completely sure if it was a good idea to let him live, but it wouldn't sit well with me if I let anyone die. Alexander felt the same way. I placed the syringe in my backpack, but there was something we had to discuss. And that item was still in my hand.

I held the vial up. "Explain, now. I can't believe you'd keep something this big from me."

He looked instantly wary, but he also knew it was inevitable. I wasn't going to let him get away with this. "I didn't tell you because I hadn't seriously considered drinking it. First of all, I had no idea if this was what my grandmother claimed it to be. It might have been filled with poison for all I knew."

I glared at him. "This isn't funny. I mean, I knew you wanted to be human, but I didn't know the feeling was that strong. You should be proud of who you were born to be." Dawn Felix's words came back to me, about staying true to yourself and being who you are no matter what. "You are this way for a reason, and even thinking about you being human wouldn't make you _you_. You should be proud of yourself."

The smile that spread across his face sent my heart fluttering. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. I wanted to keep the potion secret from you, but I realize now that I needed this to get my point across. The way you feel about me remaining a vampire is the same reason why I want you to stay human. You aren't Raven then. My fun, adventurous, and bold girlfriend. If you changed, you wouldn't be the person I love." He took the vial from my hand and smashed it on the ground, the dark liquid inside seeping into the earth.

My eyes pricked with tears at the kindness in this vampire's heart. I couldn't believe he felt the same way as me. It had always been my dream to be a vampire, but I should have realized that maybe I too was born the way I was for a reason. If I wanted to change, it wouldn't make me that much different from the Dullsvillians that I resented. He loved me for who I was and didn't want it any different. I was being selfish by asking him. That didn't mean I still wouldn't push him, but I wouldn't ask him as often. It was his choice if he wanted me to become a vampire just as well as it was mine.

I grinned at him and leaned on my tiptoes to kiss him. His lips responded softly yet with so much emotion it nearly knocked me over. When we separated to regain our breaths, I looked around at the current scene. Trevor was still resting against the Court House and Luc hadn't moved at all since we'd given him the antidote.

"So… what now?" I asked.

"Well, we should take Trevor back to Matt's home. You should call Jameson to come here now or else Trevor will wake up before he arrives. Jameson will also need to fix my arm since we can't go to a hospital. And as for Luc, we should leave him here."

"How do you know he won't attack again?"

He shrugged. "I don't, but I'm trusting that he's honorable enough to admit defeat this time." He turned to me and grinned. "He's probably afraid to mess with us again."

**Let's all give a collective "Awwww…" Hope it wasn't too sappy. **

**The last chapter will fill in any holes that are left open. So don't freak out just yet. All your questions will be answered. And if there's anything you want to specifically know just ask it in ****your review ****and I'll try to fit it in the final chapter. I might post Chapter 25 later today, so be on the lookout!**


	26. Chapter 25

**Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to give feedback to this story. I appreciate you guys more than you know!! But I want to give a special shout out to mystery625, cuppycake-the-evil-cupcake, cloudNrain, vampiress2010, Mrs. Brittany O'Shea – I wish -, Shygirl2008, twilight h8r 101, and twihead22796. Thanks for your dedication in reviewing!!!**

**One final disclaimer: I do not own the characters, except Luc, Ellen Schreiber is the creator of these fine personalities. I also own the story.**

Despite Trevor's excuse, my parents still grounded me for an extra three weeks. It seemed fitting that after two weeks full of action and adventure, I'd be restrained to doing absolutely nothing for some time afterwards. All that I was allowed to do was eat, sleep, and shower. Well, that wasn't all I could do, but some days it was all I did. At nights I'd call Alexander, and when either one of us had to leave I spent the rest of my time watching horror films or reading my favorite vampire novels.

Alexander's arm was healing nicely, as Jameson put it. They couldn't take him to a hospital because when the doctors took an x-ray, nothing would show up. They assumed it was broken, and because I was out of action for three weeks, he had plenty of time to recover.

Tonight was special because I was finally free from my sentence. No more monotony, no more nothingness. I like my room and all, but being in it for all this time had me craving new scenery. And tonight Alexander and I were celebrating. I wanted to look as best as I could. I went through my closet twice, trying everything in as many combinations as possible. After vacillating between two outfits, I ended up choosing a completely different one. I slipped into torn black hose and laced up a navy blue mini corset dress. I wore one fishnet glove and the other was solid black. My makeup and hair was dark and otherworldly. I smiled at how scary I looked, wondering how I would survive without my reflection. It would sure make putting on the black lipstick a lot harder.

Our doorbell rang and I shot down the steps. "I got it!" I announced just as my parents and Billy Boy came up behind me. This was my special night, made even better because I had no idea what Alexander had in store for us, and I didn't want my family to ruin it.

I opened the door and there he stood. My Gothic Mate, Gothic Prince, my Knight of the Night. He looked gorgeous in a vintage black blazer with an embroidered skull on the breast pocket, a silk black button up, and black jeans over ancient looking Victorian style Wimple shoes. I was glad to see he wasn't wearing a sling like he said he had been. His eyes popped the instant he saw me. He smiled and extended his hand to me, his spider ring shining.

"You look beautiful," he said in awe. I couldn't help but blush; he always flattered me.

"Hello, Alexander, we haven't seen you in a while," my mom joked as he stepped inside.

"Yes, but that wasn't entirely my fault." He looked at me sternly. My family laughed.

"I blame Raven, too," Billy Boy chirped. "Without you around, it hasn't been any fun." I flicked him on the arm. "Hey," he warned.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, can I go out now? I'm not grounded for some other reason, am I?"

My dad shook his head. "No, you've served your time." He laughed and then looked at Alexander. "Be sure to have her home by midnight."

"I will," Alexander said. He smiled at me again and tugged me outside. "Bye," he said to my family as they all waved back. I closed the door behind us.

I looked around outside but I didn't see the Mercedes anywhere. "Where's your car?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "Wherever Jameson is. He has a date with Ruby tonight." Ruby White was my boss at Armstrong's Travel Agency when I had to work there, after I'd lost my dad's expensive tennis racket, which was later given back to me by Trevor after I'd received enough money to pay my dad back. It was a horrible situation, but I gained a good friend out of it in Ruby.

"Wait, then how did you get here? You didn't fly, did you?"

He laughed. "No, I didn't fly. I took something else, but I was afraid that if your parents saw it they'd have a heart attack." He led me around the corner and pointed to something I hadn't seen in a long time. "See?"

I grinned. "Wicked!" A sleek black motorcycle was parked along the curb, looking stealthy and extremely dangerous. Not to mention amazing! I didn't know Alexander had brought it back with him from Hipsterville. I noticed two helmets on the seat. "You mean we're riding this?" He nodded. "Sweet! I haven't ridden on this since Phoenix drove me home that night in Hipsterville."

"If you want Phoenix, I have the purple wig at the Mansion," he joked. He grabbed the two helmets and handed one two me. "Strap up," he said as I took the smaller helmet.

I raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You want me to get helmet hair?"

He rolled his eyes. "The last time you rode with me, we didn't have time to put on helmets. If your parents find out that I took you without one on, they'd kill me. Humor me."

"You're right," I agreed and put the helmet on. Alexander straddled the bike and motioned for me to get on. I jumped on right behind him. He started the engine as I wrapped my arms around his waist, holding for dear life even though we hadn't begun to move. He kicked the stand out and leaned the weight of the bike on one leg.

"You ready?" he called. I nodded as best as I could with the clunky biker helmet on. He balanced the bike and shot off down the street. The adrenaline rush was awesome. The feel of the wind blowing against my body was thrilling. When I was riding on this bike before, I was relieved that Phoenix had saved me from Jagger, so I was a bit preoccupied to enjoy the ride. Now, with nothing to bar the experience, I was having the ride of my life.

Alexander stopped just outside of Hatsy's and parked the bike. I spotted a familiar red Camaro in the parking lot. We took off our helmets and I looked at him skeptically again. "We're going to Hatsy's?" I asked him. He was the king of romantic dates; I was surprised he wasn't more original.

He shook his head. "No, we're just stopping here for a second to check in."

"Oh," I said as I realized what he was talking about. Since I was grounded, I hadn't seen Becky or Matt, and I talked with my best friend only once to see how she was.

We walked inside the diner like royalty. I felt like I was on the arm of a gothic prince. Mostly teenagers were inside, the usual for any summer night at Dullsville. At a large table in the far corner sat the entire Dullsville High Soccer team including the couple I wanted to see most. I pulled Alexander over and tapped Becky on the shoulder. She turned around and grinned from ear to ear when she realized that it was me.

"Hey, Ray!" she said, getting up from her chair and giving me a hug. When we pulled apart, I noticed that the cut on her neck was now a barely noticeable pink line. "You're finally free."

"You're telling me," I laughed. "Alexander and I just stopped in to see how you were doing."

"Okay, but you might want to watch out for –"

"You!" someone shouted from behind me. We all turned to see who it was. Recognition flashed across my face as my eyes narrowed. "Hey you two vampires," Trevor spat, marching toward us. I rolled my eyes.

I feigned innocence and batted my eyes at him. "Why Trevor, whatever are you talking about?" I said in the most proper voice I could manage without cracking up.

He stopped in front of Alexander and me, his face contorted crazily. I swore he was going mental all over again. "I always knew you were insane." His voice shook from madness. "You thought you could hide in a town like this. Well I know what I saw and I'm ready to tell everyone that you're vampires!"

Truth was, only one of us was. We weren't going to let him on that he was only half-write, though.

It was dead silent in the diner for a split second, and then Alexander and I busted out laughing. "Maybe you're the insane one," I said in between shuddering guffaws.

"Come on, everyone knows vampires don't exist," Alexander said convincingly. All the people at the soccer table seemed to be embarrassed by their captain's actions.

"But I saw the fangs, and the red eyes," Trevor spat, looking for any sign of recognition on our faces. He jabbed a finger at my boyfriend. "You hissed at me, right before… uh…"

The scary thing was, even though Luc hadn't died, people in town were really having trouble remembering him. Becky forgot all together that she was ever kidnapped. It was something that I had to ask Alexander about later tonight.

Alexander looked bemused. "Look, you're a little confused," he said calmly to Trevor. "Maybe you dreamed this. But I am _not_ a vampire. See." He flashed a perfectly white, non-fanged smile at my nemesis. I thanked God they were retractable. "I don't have fangs, well I do, but they're in a drawer at home. I bought them at a costume shop." A few people laughed at that.

"But –"

"Look, you've been accusing him of this for long enough," I cut in. "Despite how popular you are, no one will believe you. I think you're wasting your time." I squeezed Alexander's hand and pulled him toward the door. "Bye, Becky and Matt," I said to them as we exited.

"That was close," I exhaled.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Alexander drove up to our favorite date spot: the cemetery. As he parked the motorcycle, I removed the helmet and looked at him quizzically. "I thought you'd get more creative than this. Besides, what if Old Jim catches me here again? He'll send me to prison, or worse, juvie…"

"Relax," he said. "I know for a fact that he isn't around tonight. He's at the bar on Saturday nights, remember?" He shouldered a backpack and led the way. We scaled the high fence together and walked through the tombstones in utter darkness. I was surprised when we passed his grandmother's monument without any signs of stopping there.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

He looked over his shoulder at me. "You'll see." We walked a few more minutes and I was shocked when I saw yet another candlelit table set up in an opening. Sterling silver platters were set for two along with tall glasses filled with sparkling water. A huge dark shadow lurked behind the setup. As we got closer I recognized the outstretched arms and expanse of wings that was known as Celeste Angelo's monument. It looked stunning with the way the dim light played with the shadows of her angled cheekbones.

"Why are we back here?" The memory of finding Becky on the angel was creeping back in my mind. What was he trying to do?

"I wanted you to have a better appreciation of this wonderful statue." He gestured to Celeste. "You have a bad remembrance of her, so I want to make your experience better."

"How?"

He rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a sketchpad and pencil. "You're going to be my model." He grinned. "I don't think we've ever done live modeling before."

I smiled back. "Sounds like fun."

For the next hour I posed several different ways with the angel. I reclined in her open arms, leaned against her elongated stature, even repeated her pose and asked Alexander to draw black wings on me. He watched me for once with the eye of an artist, scrutinizing every curve of my body or how the moon painted shadows against us. He worked with what appeared to be careful patience, but in reality it took him a few minutes per drawing. Each work, despite being of the same subjects, was extremely different from the others depending on how he depicted either one of us. Whether he brought out the serenity of Celeste or the intensity of my eyes, every piece had its own unique spark that drew your attention.

This time I was sitting on the grass, resting backwards on my arms looking up at the statue. I was thinking about that, even though she was inanimate, Celeste had sort of been a guardian angel for my best friend and my boyfriend. Even if she was an angel of light, she was there us. She protected us from true evil.

"Alexander? What do you think happened to Luc?" I asked for the first time in three weeks. I hadn't been concerned until now, almost a little afraid to know. But I had Celeste watching over me.

"I guess he went back to Hipsterville," he mused, not taking his eyes from the sketchpad. "Now that we took away his opportunity to create a vampire army from humans, he might try to rally the current vampires on his side. But since Phoenix took over the Coffin Club, no one will take his side, unless he used Magnetism on them."

"If he's still alive, why is everyone having trouble remembering him?"

"I'm not sure, but I would guess that when you threw garlic powder on him, his powers got depleted. If the Magnetism power has been weakened, that might be why it's messing with everyone's memory. Will their memories of him return when he restores? That's something we can't know of until the future."

Well, it wasn't like that was a completely horrible thing. If the Millers remembered that Luc kidnapped Becky, they might place a warrant for his arrest. That would be interesting…

"Done," Alexander announced. I hopped up from the grass and walked over to him, looking over his shoulder.

The drawing was yet another flawless work. Celeste reminded me of the Virgin Mary that you see outside of Catholic churches, he arms outstretched and her face peaceful. Light resonated from her body, illuminating all that was around her. Below was me, watching her with a wondrous sort of amazement, almost as if she were performing a miracle before my eyes.

"Wow, that's amazing!" I marveled. Alexander smiled. I leaned down to passionately kiss him.

He kissed me back forcefully, drinking me in and filling me with love. He slid his arms around my waist to pull me closer. Our lips moved in unison, my mind spinning with all we had just gone through over the past month, with finding out about killings in nearby towns and searching for vampires by night. Even the whole Trevor episode felt like it happened a long time ago. It was clear that no matter what we faced, we would get through it together.

Whether I was going to become a vampire or not was the least of my worries tonight. For now, I was going to enjoy the moment by focusing on the two of us here below the expanse of a beautifully dark sky, our safe haven.

**It's been an awesome ride, and I can't believe this is the first story I've finished. If there's anything I've missed, let me know and I'll fill you in. For now, I'm taking a break from Vampire Kisses stories to write one for Maximum Ride. It's called "Not So Normal", and you don't have to have read the books to know what's going on. Also, I may be writing an alternate ending to this story thanks to a suggestion from CloudNrain. I don't think I'll write a sequel, but if I do it won't be any time soon.**

**I may also start writing a story on this blog I started mostly to document my college search for my friends. If anyone wants to read or has a Live Journal, drop by and leave a comment or request friendship with me. Any advice is great! Go to my profile to check it out!!**

**Thanks everyone!!! :D **


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